The Founders Troubles
by JDPhoenix
Summary: Four young outcasts, far from home, alone in the world, and each holding a secret.
1. Banished, Disowned, etc

This is, as you can guess, a story about the founders of Hogwarts. This is not the sequel to my story Obedient Slave, BUT the sequel to this will also be the sequel to that.

Disclaimer: I don't own the founders, the castle, the lake, the forest or anything else from the books. I do own anything that doesn't sound familiar (i.e. the founder's parents and their hometowns/kingdoms, unless they're actually real, which I don't think they are).

Happy Reading!

**The Founders' Troubles**

By JDPhoenix

Lady Helga of Dukeburrow, daughter of Lord William and Lady Cathline of Dukeburrow, sat on the steps of a large castle in the middle of nowhere and pulled her shawl tighter. Her long blonde hair and bright green eyes were enough to get compassion out of at least a servant, but she dared not go in for the warning on the doors:

_First my tasks you must face,  
then I shall end you without a trace._

Helga was in the greatest of disgrace. Her father had banished her, disowned her, and thrown her out in the cold with only the clothes on her back and a few coins. He had found out that the reason all the girl's poor governesses fled, screaming of ghosts was because, in her sleep, Helga had dreamed of them being frightened by spirits. William was furious. His daugher could not possibly be a witch, and so, quick as a whip, she was no longer his daughter. The story that the people were told involved Helga going innocently out for a walk in the woods and being attacked and killed by a wild beast.

But now, after weeks of walking, begging (never stealing), and barely any sleep for fear, she was sitting, and waiting; for what she had no idea. Luckily though, she thought she saw at least part of it when a figure with a shock of bright red hair on a horse came around the side of a nearby lake which was half in the forest.

* * *

Prince Godric of Brichxelhaven, son of King Pierce and Queen Gwendellen of Brichxelhaven had been practicing his swordsmanship with his best friend, John. The fight had been going well, until the two boys noticed all the young ladies watching, one of which was Lucile: the girl who the boys had chosen to compete over that week.

"I tell you Godric," said John, "I'm going to have some fun with her."

This made the thirteen year old prince unbelievably angry. He took the codes of chivalry very seriously and could not stand men who acted as if women were things. "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously, unable to believe that his closest friend could be so despicable.

"What does it sound like I mean?" said the fourteen year old with an ill-meaning glint in his eye.

It happened in a flash of bright light that sent the ladies scampering. Godric moved his sword-arm away from his eyes and saw his best friend slumped against the far fence. The prince had lived up to the term dubbed to those with the fiery hair of his mother's family, and had disregarded the cool temperment of his father's, which was portrayed in cool blue eyes. Godric ran.

* * *

Salazar, first in line to become Duke of Nox, son of Duke Tomas and Duchess Aurelia urged his horse on. He was confident that wherever he was going he would be able to get along quite nicely. It was due to the charm he had inherited from his mother, along with her brown eyes, and his father's jet-black hair and dashing good looks. At the age of thirteen he could charm a nun out of a convent, not that he wanted to, but knowing this made him very certain that he could get by no matter where he ended up.

He had been banished, disowned, etc., and did he care? Not a bit. He was still Salazar, and that was all that mattered to him. True, the reason that he had been banished in the first place was enough to scare any normal person out of their mind, but he was Salazar. He had been found by a maid talking to the snakes on the garden wall. That was definitely not normal, and if there was one thing Duke Tomas could not stand it was anything that went outside of the proverbial box. Aurelia had begged, and begged, and begged some more, but it did absolutely no good, Salazar was stripped of his title and thrown out into the street. He had managed to sneak back in and get his horse, some food and a considerable amount of money though.

Now he was riding through the forest, wondering when God would see fit make the point of this little excursion clear. As he rounded a bend he saw a young girl ahead of him. She had long, dark brown hair and wore a dark blue cloak. Salazar decided to go and visit.

* * *

Godric waited on the outskirts of the Brichxelhaven capital only long enough to find out what happened to John, meaning he didn't stay around long since John woke up that very night. Once he knew John was fine he threw his sword into the river and set off for places he dared not imagine. Luckily Brichxelhaven was close to the ocean and he came to the seashore in less than a fortnight. He joined a ship that took him across what was to be known as the English Channel and then began walking again. He didn't know where he was going but he knew it was far away. He later found a merchant who was sitting on the side of the road, his horse tethered, wares on the ground.

"Come 'ere boy," said the merchant. When Godric complied the man continued, "You may not know this, seeing as ye're young, naive an' grew up in a nice, rich home, but trade is dead. That means there is no use fer me. So I'm offering ye a job. Ye lead my horse into the next town--me, wares, an' all and I'll give ye the horse. I plan on settlin' down in yonder town, an' I'm not one to keep such a beauty chained up in some stable. She needs a young man to treat 'er right an' ride 'er a fair amount, not too much mind ye. Will ye do it?"

"Of course good sir," Godric bowed and began packing up the wares.

The merchant chuckled to himself as he watched.

* * *

"Well well," came a voice, "what have we here?"

The young girl looked up, her yellow brown eyes flashing.

When she didn't answer the young man continued, "I can tell you're a serf, girl. Now what are you doing way out here, so far away from your family?" Silence. "Answer me!" yelled the boy, pulling his horse forward and around to cut the girl off.

"I have no family. They disowned me," she said without even a hint of regret.

"Why?" Salazar asked more kindly. She looked down and if he hadn't known better he would have thought she was ashamed and not just shying away from the question, he let it past anyway. "What is your name?"

"Rowena."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

This comment, which was meant good naturedly, seemed to make the girl angry. She looked up at him sharply, took a few large steps back, ran forward and, when she was barely a foot away, jumped, kicking the side of a nearby tree for extra height. Salazar looked, ready to catch her. She had grasped a branch above his head and was now standing on it. She looked down at him, scowled, and jumped back onto the path on his other side.

Salazar looked after her, thinking, 'I wonder if I'll ever meet another girl who my charm doesn't work on. No, never going to happen.' He noted that the cloak she was wearing hid any features that might make her more inviting to talk to, and the fact that the bird feather behind her left ear had not moved during her exercise.

He suddenly stopped thinking about the girl and turned around, he had heard something. Then he saw them, they were obviously theives, and a lot of them at that. He urged his horse into a gallop and went after Rowena. He leaned over, grabbed her off the ground and continued to ride.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, not able to see him because she was on her stomach in front of him.

"Look behind us," he said.

She did and her voice hardened. "They're still coming, and fast. Unless your horse can go faster they'll catch us."

"He can't."

"Wonderous. Let me up." With some manuvering Salazar found himself trying to guide his horse from behind a girl whose height he had obviously miscalculated. "Promise you won't be afraid?"

"Will what your about to do help?"

"It should save us, or at least buy time."

"Then I promise."

Rowena proceded to make sounds that Salazar had only ever heard a bird use. Answering cries echoed from the surrounding trees. Seconds later there were screams from behind them, but Salazar did not take the time to turn. He only stopped when his horse could go no further, turning to face the theives--they were nowhere to be seen. He examined the surrounding trees and when he was confident that the theives were gone he dismounted, Rowena following. A large hawk perched on the saddle.

"Thank you Pest," Rowena said, petting the birds breast with the back of two fingers.

"Pest?"

"It's short for Pest Killer. He and his friends fought off those bandits."

"Oh. So you talk to birds?" Rowena nodded. "Well then," Salazar bowed, extending his hand. Rowena curtsied in kind and gave him her own hand, which he kissed. "I talk to snakes. My father banished and disowned me because of it."

"Interesting."

"Now m'lady," he motioned for Pest to move, "would you care to accompany me on my journey?"

"To where?"

"I'm not possative, but I know that I am going somewhere."

"Well, I have nowhere else to go." Rowena mounted and Salazar took the reigns, leading the horse.

* * *

Review! 


	2. Meetings

**The Founder's Troubles**  
By JDPhoenix 

After only a few days Godric knew he was nearing his destination, whatever that was. He had almost gotten through a rather large and eerie forest, all he had to do was go around one lake that was on the edge of afformentioned forest and he was done. He had decided to let the horse rest for a while and was watching the castle he had found with interest. Nothing moved, nothing breathed. It was as if everything around was waiting for something to wake the castle up. Then he saw it: a flash of gold at the castle's massive doors. He strained his eyes, trying to see better and saw a girl, huddling in the cold. He didn't know why but he grabbed the horses reigns, mounted and went as quickly as he could toward her.

"Who are you?" she asked in a scared voice when he reached her.

"I am P-" he stopped. "I'm Godric." He bowed, one arm across his stomach, the other across his lower back. "And your name my lady?"

"I am Helga."

Godric straightened after Helga finished her curtsy. "If you do not mind my asking, why do you not enter the castle?" Helga pointed at the engraving on the doors. "Oh. Well then gentle lady, if we cannot enter the castle, may I offer you my cape so you are not so cold?"

"You may."

"Wonderful." He took off his cape and was about to drape it around the girl's shoulders when he saw a strange look on her face. He turned to see what she was looking at. He saw two figures leading a horse out of the forest, far away from the lake. The figures seemed to be waving to something behind them.

* * *

After a few days of traveling together Salazar and Rowena were more comfortable with eachother. They still fought, but never to the point of one thinking of leaving the other.

It was almost nightfall and the two were seeking shelter, they found it in an open area in the trees about fifteen feet wide and well off the path. While Salazar got out the blankets and food Rowena started up the fire. When she got it going she looked up and let out a small cry of surprise.

"I was wondering when you'd notice me," said a man of about twenty-three who was sitting on the other side of the clearing.

"I would have noticed you," said Rowena as she looked up at where Pest was perched, "if someone had seen it fit to tell me you were there."

"Who are you?" asked Salazar as he took a protective stance in front of Rowena.

"I am Adolf."

"Wolf," Rowena breathed.

"What?" asked Salazar, confused.

"His name, it means 'wolf.'" At his look she continued, "Just because I'm a serf doesn't mean I'm not a smart serf."

"Very good young Ravenclaw," said Adolf.

"What?"

"Please, finish preparing for the night and I will explain." When the two had set up camp, offered Adolf food, which he refused, and Rowena had set about the task of braiding her _long_ hair, the man continued. "I live in this forest. There are centaurs, trolls, dementors, unicorns, demons, others of my kind and the like. I have been watching you for a few days now and when I aproached the centaurs, they're star-gazers and seers, about you they said, 'Ravenclaw and Slytherin will go to the old castle' for it is a very old castle, not even they know how old, 'and they will meet Hufflepuff and Gryffenor and venture through the door.' I wasn't sure which of you was Ravenclaw and which was Slytherin, but when you said you would have known if someone had told you and looked at the bird I knew that you had to be Ravenclaw because ravens are birds, which means you are Slytherin."

"So are those our names now?" asked Salazar.

"Perhaps, that is up to you."

"Of course," Salazar grumbled.

"So what are you?" asked Rowena deciding to change the topic as best she could.

"Do you not know Ravenclaw?"

"I have an idea."

"I am a werewolf." Salazar's eyes widened while Rowena nodded, glad to know she had been right. "Do not worry, I am only dangerous when there is a full moon and that is not untill tomorrow."

"Good," said Salazar, "I would hate to take on a werewolf, especially without a sword."

"What was that one thing you named," asked Rowena, "a Dementor, was it?"

"Ah yes," said Adolf solomly, "Dementors take all the happiness and joy out of people, and when they are done, they suck your soul out through your mouth."

"Fun," said Salazar. "Let's not meet any."

"Now then my friends," said Adolf with a yawn, "I think it is time for sleep. This part of the forest is inhabited only by good, kind creatures, they will not allow harm to come to us."

"But-" started Rowena.

"Tomorrow, when I transform, the other creatures will keep me and my bretheren from harming anything, or anyone."

"That's good," Rowena yawned as she lay down.

"Do not worry Slytherin, I will take care of the fire." Salazar nodded and lay down as well.

* * *

The next day the five (counting Pest and the horse) began the trek toward the castle.

"Will we see you again after the full moon Adolf?" Rowena asked.

"Yes," replied the werewolf, "I will visit you often, I promise."

"Good," said Salazar.

"Now is when we must part ways," said Adolf.

"But you said you'd take us to the edge of the forest."

"I have, just around this bend the forest ends. I will see you off from there."

So the horse, Rowena, Pest and Salazar all walked out of the forest and onto the open ground. The two humans turned to wave to their new friend and then walked on.

"I guess that's them," Rowena said with barely a whisper.

"Hufflepuff and Gryffendor," breathed Salazar. "We shouldn't tell them."

"Tell them what?"

"Anything that Adolf said. I want to trust him, but for some reason I don't feel I can."

"Do you trust anyone?"

"Not even you?" Salazar said with a wicked grin.

Rowena shook her head and looked up at the sky. "Look at that," she said, "I think it might rain."

"Just what we need," Salazar grumbled.

"Who are you?" called Godric from the castle steps.

"Rowena and Salazar," Salazar returned. "And who might you be?"

"I am Godric, and this is Helga."

Salazar noted Rowena's curtsy, and the kick in the leg she gave him when he didn't move to bow. After they stood erect once more the other two bowed and curtsied in return. The four spent the rest of the afternoon and much of the evening trading stories. Night found them lounging on the front steps of the castle, unfortunetly, night also found rain.

The storm was huge. Helga and Godric were sharing Godric's cape both to keep warm and to keep the rain off their heads. Salazar was using his own cloak to keep warm, while Rowena and Pest huddled under the girl's own. Rowena suddenly elbowed Salazar.

"What?" asked the angry Parseltongue. Rowena indicated a large group of figures heading their way, all wore dark cloaks and seemed to glide across the ground.

"Of all the creatures Adolf mentioned to us," said the girl in a whisper, "I couldn't identify one: Dementors. I knew what all the rest looked like, and those are not normal people."

"So you're implying that we should go into the castle even though we know that there is most likely danger on the other side, even death?"

"Death in there can't be any worse than having our souls sucked out here in the rain."

"I hate it when you're right."

Rowena opened the large double doors while Salazar grabbed Godric and Helga's shoulders and pulled them in.


	3. red, orange, yellow and green

**The Founders' Troubles**

By JDPhoenix

A loud voice echoed, "So you _children_ think yourselves worthy of entering _my_ castle? You will soon find the error of your ways, in the afterlife!" With the dying echoes a red light bathed the room and with it the four saw three very large trolls.

With no time for words Salazar and Rowena ran to attack two of the beasts while the third came for Godric, who had taken a protective stance before Helga. Unfortunetly all any of the three had were daggars which are of little use against a troll's club. Rowena's more athletic abilities and strength from years of manual labor gave her a slight advantage, so she ordered Pest to help Salazar, who was not doing all that badly himself, except for the height part. Once the troll had been blinded by Pest's talons though, Salazar won easily.

Godric on the other hand was still a prince, and that meant that he was great in the courage department, but horrible in strength. When Rowena and Salazar had finished their fights they turned to see how their new companions were doing and saw Helga let loose a scream so loud that it shook the walls and caused Pest and Rowena to fall to the ground with pain. Luckily the troll seemed the most hurt by the sound and when Godric regained his senses he drove his daggar into the back of the thing's neck, causing instant death.

"What were you two thinking?!" he cried as Rowena gathered up the still stunned Pest and rose to her feet.

"We were thinking about saving our lives!" cried Salazar. "Those things would have-"

"Shh!" Rowena snapped. "There's got to be more."

Godric was trying the door they had come in by. "It won't open," he said finally.

"Then we might as well continue," said Helga. She was reading words that had just carved themselves into the door on the otherside of the room:

_"One for one,  
you've only just begun."_

"All right then," said Salazar, offering Rowena his arm. "M'lady?"

"Better than going in alone," said the girl as she shifted Pest to her shoulder.

"What happened to your feather?" The two humans and bird were inside the other room which was draped in orange light now.

"It's fine!" Rowena called back to the others. "There's nothing in here! yet. It must have fallen out during the fight," she added absentmindedly.

When Godric and Helga finally came through the door it slammed shut behind them.

"Now whaaah!" cried Godric as he jumped forward, pulling Helga with him. "Something bit half my cape off!"

"Wonderful," said Salazar as he looked around the circular room. It was boardered by many long, thick vines that weaved together. "It was the plant," he said suddenly, "or something inside it."

"No," said Helga, her eyes half closed, "it was the plant, it eats humans." She opened her eyes and looked at them sheepishly, "I can talk to plants as well."

"And the voice?"

"Mhmm," she nodded.

"Can you stop it from eating us?" asked Godric, taking her hand.

"I can try," she blushed.

"That is all we can ask, fair maiden."

Salazar and Rowena shot eachother knowing looks--they had seen others fall in love before. Helga brought the two back by letting out a long series of sounds that was not as loud as her scream in the other room, but the pitch was higher than it had been. A huge pod, much like that on a venus fly trap but much more menacing, came out of the tangle of vines and began swaying from side to side like an entranced cobra. Soon the "head" began to droop and the plant was fast asleep.

"Let us leave," said Godric.

"With haste," Rowena added.

No one cared to notice the new engraving on the door before they left:

_"Two for two,  
good for you."_

The five found themselves in a circular yellow room filled with locks.

"What is the point of this many locks?" asked Godric.

"I'm not sure," said Rowena.

"Look!" cried Helga. "The doors! There are keys in front of them!" And indeed there were. In front of each door there was a key, both identical in every way and suspended in midair right before where a lock should go.

"Let me guess," said Salazar, "we have to find the lock that goes with these keys, and put it where the lock on the door should be."

"That is the most probable answer," said Rowena, "let's begin looking."

Many hours which were filled with "Is this it?" "No, it's too new." And many "No, I already tried that one!"s later they had found the right lock, all of their hands coming on it at once. Godric was just about to put it on one of the doors when Rowena shouted, "No!"

Everyone turned to her. "Why?" Helga asked in a small voice.

"Don't you see?" she asked. "Looking for locks instead of keys? It's backwards. Which means the room is probably backwards as well."

"You're mad," Godric said.

"No, I'm not. You know it makes sense." Pest voiced his agreement.

"She's right," said Salazar. "It makes perfect sense. If we go that way then we're never going to get out of here, we'll most likely be stuck in with that giant plant for the rest of our lives, which will be very short."

"And what if you're wrong?" Godric demanded.

"I have never been wrong in my life," said Rowena.

"So that's why you're so cocky," mumbled Salazar, who promptly recieved a kick in his lower leg.

"All right," said Godric, "here." He threw the heavy lock over to Rowena who put it on the door. The key immedietly shot into it and turned. On the door words appeared.

_"Very good my pets,  
you've passed three tests."_

"Pets?" complained Godric and Salazar as they entered the next room, Rowena, Pest, and Helga trailing behind.

"And he called you cocky?" asked Helga. The two girls laughed at that.

When the five entered the green room they felt as if they were being smothered. There was string, everywhere. It seemed to reach up to the ceiling and the four began to climb, up and in. Rowena was the slowest because she had to carry Pest with one arm.

"What is this?" demanded an enraged Salazar as he tried to get through the masses of string that were threatening to get into his mouth and cut off his air supply.

"I'm not sure," called Rowena from wherever she was.

"What are we supposed to do?" called Helga.

"I think I know," came Godric's voice, stronger and more confident than the others had ever heard it. There was, for some time, no sound at all other than Godric's heavy breathing as he seemed to be making his way through the tangle. Then, "Found it! Now to just..." Godric's voice faded and for a few minutes the others were afraid that there was something inside the tangle that had eaten him. Then, suddenly the string disappeared and everyone fell to the stones.

"What happened?" asked the confused three. The answer was delayed however by the appearence of words on the door.

_"It is such a mystery  
that only one of you has studied history."_

Everyone turned to Godric who stood at the center of the circular room, daggar in hand. "It was his version of the Gordeon Knot."

"Oh," said the girls.

"Why didn't I think of that?" asked Salazar as he held open the door to the blue room.


	4. blue, indigo and violet

Inside the circular (and surprisingly small) blue room was a table with one chair on the side opposite them. Standing at each of the other three sides was a centaur. In the center of the table was a deck of cards.  
  
"What is this?" asked Helga.  
  
"A card game," said Salazar. "Poker if I'm not mistaken."  
  
"Correct boy," said one of the centaurs. "Now, which one of you will join us?"  
  
"None of us are joining you," said Salazar, his face set. "This is a game of chance, not a test! It's just whoever owns this castle toying with us! Plus we have nothing to wager."  
  
"Nothing to wager, hm?" asked another centaur looking at Salazar and then at the other humans. He made a small, quick gesture with his left hand and Rowena let out a small cry and fell to the ground, one hand on her neck.  
  
"What did you do to her?!" screamed Salazar.  
  
"Poisoned her," said the third centaur calmly. "Now her life is in your hands. Once you get through this room and the next you will be given the antidote."  
  
"The only problem," said the second centaur, almost laughing, "is that she doesn't have much time."  
  
"Now I ask again," said the first centaur, "which of you will play?"  
  
"I will," said a very angry Salazar as he sat down and began shuffling the cards.  
  
The game seemed to go on for ages. During it Salazar noted the looks on his oponents faces when they took certain cards, unfortunetly centaurs weren't big on facial expressions. He had to force himself to stop looking over at his new friends. Helga had put her shawl over Rowena's prone form. The girl was pale as death and didn't even respond to her birds urgent cries and pleas.  
  
When two of the centaurs folded Salazar barely noticed, but he did notice when his final oponent layed down his cards: a full house. Salazar almost jumped for joy, but he knew that they still had one room to go before Rowena was safe. He quickly layed down his four of a kind and ran over to Rowena, completely forgetting that he had taken off his cloak during the game and it still lay on the back of his chair.  
  
"Let's get her out of here," he said quickly and picked the girl up. He carried her into the next room and noted that there was no rhyme on the door, only one word:  
  
"Hurry!"  
  
The indigo room was- well, empty. There was nothing there, nothing except a square design on the tiled floor. It was a picture of a knight fighting a dragon, seen through a gap in a flowery hedge. Suddenly the center tile diappeared, and all the others began to shift around. Helga and Godric jumped, while Salazar manuvered his way to the sides of the room. By now you may have noticed that all the rooms, save the first one, are circular.  
  
"So we just have to put it back the way it was, right?" asked Helga.  
  
"I guess," said Godric.  
  
"This will take ages!" yelled Salazar as he layed Rowena down.  
  
"Then we'd better start now," said Godric, laying a hand on Salazar's shoulder. "Right, Salazar?" Salazar took one look back at Rowena and nodded.  
  
"Did I ever mention how much I hate puzzles?" Godric said almost two hours later.  
  
"Would you be quiet?" asked Salazar. "You're wasting valuable energy that you could be using to solve this thing."  
  
"Touchy."  
  
Salazar didn't seem to notice though, because Rowena had just taken a particuarly ragged breath which cuased him continue the puzzle with a renewed sense of purpose.  
  
Half an hour later Pest was perched on Rowena's chest. His master's lifesigns were fading and he didn't know what to do. He was about to go and get the human that had traveled with them for the past few days, he would want to be with her when it happened, when he heard a sound. The bird looked up to see that the three humans were working on the top half of the puzzle, their backs to the door they had come in by; on the side of the puzzle that the children could not see the tiles were picking themselves up and moving to their correct places. Pest almost called out to the three humans when a translucent form appeared and put a finger to its mouth silencing the hawk. The form was a man, obviously a projection of the man's true self. He placed a hand on Rowena's forehead and the girl seemed to breathe easier. Once the man seemed sure that Rowena was going to last a bit longer he nodded to Pest and disappeared.  
  
The humans turned around five minutes later to find that the puzzle was done. A small bag fell from nowhere, into Salazar's arms. There was a bottle inside along with a note, it read:  
  
"Give her the whole bottle."  
  
Salazar ran over to Rowena, pulled her into a sitting position and slowly poured the elixer into her mouth.  
  
"But-" started Godric, looking at the finished puzzle.  
  
"Don't," Helga said, laying a hand on his shoulder, "just don't."  
  
"What-" said Rowena as her eyes fluttered open, "what happened?"  
  
Salazar had the urge to hug her but ignored it. "Those centaurs poisoned you so we'd play the game."  
  
"Who played?"  
  
"Godric," Salazar said quickly.  
  
Rowena studied at him for a minute, as if searching for something. When she seemed satisfied with what she found she stood.  
  
"Are you sure you're ready for that?" asked Godric.  
  
"Yes, I feel fine now. This isn't the room with the centaurs."  
  
"No," said Helga, "we had to beat them, then put these tiles back where they belonged to get the antidote."  
  
"Oh. It is very beautiful," Rowena said as she looked at it.  
  
"It is, isn't it?" said Salazar as he looked at her. Pest suddenly flew by him though, scratching his ear, then landed on Rowena's shoulder and began talking to her endlessly.  
  
"Oh really?" asked Rowena when he finished.  
  
"What?" asked Godric.  
  
"Nothing important," Rowena said absentmindedly. "Shall we go on then?"  
  
"Let's."  
  
And so they all passed through the door that read,  
  
"Six are won,  
  
now only one  
  
left to be done."  
  
They stood in a violet room with six levers on either side between the two doors, each one about three yards above the floor.  
  
"What are we supposed to do in here?" asked Godric.  
  
"Maybe we pull the levers and face whatever comes out," suggested Helga.  
  
"Might as well try," said Salazar. Just as he was about to pull a lever Pest cried out from above their heads. Rowena made a series of bird calls in return which Pest answered.  
  
"He says," translated Rowena, "that something is written on the wall up there. He says it looks like a poem."  
  
"A poem?" asked the others in surprise. Just as they did though holes in the wall directly beneath each of the levers opened up and ice cold water poured in.  
  
"Kick off your shoes!" yelled Salazar as the water level reached their waists. Everyone did as they were told.  
  
Rowena made a series of calls up to Pest, who began calling back down very slowly. When Pest was done Salazar called over the sound of the water, "What was that?"  
  
"He was reading me the poem!"  
  
Salazar was about to ask, "He can read?" but a swell of the water caught him off guard. Although the water level continued to rise the levers moved up the wall so that they could stay just above the wave's reach.  
  
Rowena suddenly called out, "I've got it!" She swam over to one of the levers and, after being tossed about by the streaming water, grabbed on, said, "I hate water," and pulled down as hard as she could. Slowly the water level stopped rising, and the water began to trickle out holes at the base of the walls.  
  
"What happened?" asked Godric when they were all back on solid ground, dripping and shaking.  
  
"Pest read me the poem," explained Rowena, "it had clues as to which lever would get rid of the water."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Very lucky that we have a bird," said Helga, "and someone who can talk to birds."  
  
"Yes," said Salazar quietly, "quite good too."  
  
Suddenly the door opened and the four made their way out, Pest flying overhead to keep dry. This room was huge. It seemed to be the castle's ballroom, although none of the children thought that there were balls held there. There was light streaming in through windows at the tops of the walls and a few candles closer to eye level. In the center of the room sat a table, and at the end of it was a man who was clapping. 


	5. Archanes

The man's hair was held in a tail, it didn't even reach his waist but seemed longer because it blended in with his black robes. His bright blue eyes seemed to dance at the sight of the four dripping children.  
  
"Sit sit," he said, gesturing to the sides of the table where four chairs materialized. Helga and Rowena cautiously sat on his left, while the boys sat on his right. A cry suddenly cut through the room. "Almost forgot," said the man and at the end of the table a stand appeared for Pest, who happily took his seat. "Now, first thing's first. Dinner!" Plates of food appeared before the stunned children. When his guests didn't touch the meal the man said, "I haven't poisoned it, eat!"  
  
"You poisoned Rowena," said Salazar angrilly, "why not poison us all now?"  
  
Suddenly Pest spoke up. "You're the one?" Rowena asked the man when the bird had finished. "You saved my life in the indago room?"  
  
The man looked at the other three children, the bird and Rowena. Finally, in an older manner he said, "Yes, I did. I thought you talked to birds, but I wasn't sure." He then went back to his seemingly younger tone, "You weren't going to finish the puzzle fast enough, so I helped a bit."  
  
"You moved the tiles and fought the poison back," supplied Rowena.  
  
"Yes, yes I did. Now eat! You must all be starving after that. And while you eat I'll explain.  
  
"My name is Archanes. When I came here many years ago this castle was owned by an evil sorcerer, he was constantly after this village down the way, trying to drive them out. He was also the one who put that warning on the door, thought his powers would be lessened if he was constantly surrounded by people. In truth people can only help your powers grow, but that is a lesson for another time. Now, I went through all his tests, and when I had to face him he was cocky, he thought that since I was young my powers weren't strong. Well when he found out that he was wrong he fled into the forest, the only problem was that it was a full moon." All the children whinced. "They ate him alive poor man. Anyway, I took this castle and livened it up a bit. I went down and told the town that that man was gone and I prefered if they stayed, I had to get food from somewhere.  
  
"Now you must be wondering how all of you tie into this, and why I left the tests. I need students. Not just any students, ones that have more than magic. That was that sorcerer's problem: all the power in the world and not a bit of intellect, courage, loyalty or cunning, it was his downfall. Now, I ask you, will you be my pupils? Stay here, study not just magic, but life as well? Will you do it? I won't be angry if you refuse."  
  
"I'll stay," said Helga, "I've no where else to go."  
  
"Nor have I," said Godric, "this seems to be just what we need. What about you two?"  
  
Rowena and Salazar looked at eachother. "Well?" Salazar said, turning to Pest. "What do you think?" Pest let out a cry.  
  
"He thinks we should stay."  
  
"Well then, it's settled," said Salazar, "fill us with intellect oh master Archanes."  
  
"I will," said Archanes, "starting tomorrow. But first," he motioned with his hand for something to come through the closed door. The door opened a bit and through it floated four pairs of shoes, a shawl, a cloak, a ripped piece of cape and a feather which stayed floating above the table. "Now I think it would be better if it spoke don't you?" he asked as the items began spinning together. They spung so fast that none of them, even Pest, could tell what was going on. Then, they stopped, and where they had been now floated a pointed wizard's hat. It didn't look at all new, it looked as old as their clothes had been. The children could tell that the cloth from the shoes, since they were all the same color, had made up the original hat, which seemed to have become torn in all the spinning and their shawl, cloak and cape had filled in the pieces. Rowena's feather was sticking up from one side of the hat.  
  
"Hello," the hat said suddenly.  
  
"Hello," said all the children.  
  
"I am," started the hat, "I am- What am I?"  
  
"You're a hat," said Godric.  
  
"You," said Archanes, "are a hat made from all of the clothing that these children lost while going through my tests. I have made you to help the children, be their confidant when they can't stand eachother. And, since there are only four of them, and Pest tends to follow Rowena, be the one who votes in the case of a tie. Is that all right, would you prefer that I had not made you?"  
  
"Are you joking?" asked the hat. "Watching these children grow will be a pleasure!"  
  
"Wonderful! Now, Pest there is a barn outside the castle, if you wish you may sleep there." Pest let out a cry and took off. "I'll take that as a 'yes.' As for the rest of you, would you like me to show you to your rooms or would you prefer that I just snap my fingers and you're there."  
  
"I think," said Helga, "that a nice walk would help to tire us out and it will help us find our way back here for breakfast tomorrow."  
  
"Right then, if you'll all follow me?"  
  
Archanes led each of the children to a different corner of the castle. Salazar got a dungeon, Rowena and Godric both got towers at opposite corners and Helga got a dungeon, but one not so dark and gloomy as Salazar's.  
  
  
  
Late that night Salazar slowly got out of his bed and began to explore, he was sure that there was something he was missing about his new quarters and was determined to find out what. First he began looking behind pictures and things of that sort, finding nothing he looked under all the rugs and when that proved fruitless he collapsed into one of the chairs in the main chamber. He looked into the roaring fireplace for quite some time. Then he saw it, it was barely anything, but it was enough. He slowly got up and removed the grate, he slowly walked around the fire, getting burned a few times in the process, and pushed on the back wall; it gave way. He found himself falling onto smooth marble. He stood and found that he was at the top of a staircase, lined with burning torches. He carefully grabbed one and began his desent. After what had to be at least a half an hour, he reached the bottom and found the floor covered in snakes.  
  
"Could you please move?" he asked tensely. "Excuse me. Thank you. Sorry about that." When he was in the center of the room all of the snakes looked up at him. He began turning around slowly, this place was HUGE! You could have but two dozen elephants in there, and still have had room for at least five dragons, at least. Salazar began wondering what he was going to do with this place.  
  
Suddenly many of the snakes began hissing and spitting at something behind him. "Quiet!" he ordered.  
  
"Salazar?" asked a very familiar voice.  
  
Salazar spun around to see Rowena, holding a torch and looking at the snakes with trepidation. "It's all right," Salazar said, first to Rowena, then to the snakes, "they (she) won't hurt you." This seemed to calm everyone down, and Rowena stepped closer until she was next to the snake charmer.  
  
"So what are you doing down here Slytherin?"  
  
"A better question is what are you doing here? You were poisoned today, you should be resting."  
  
"I couldn't sleep. Now answer my question."  
  
"I found a door in the back of a fireplace in my dungeons and it led to that staircase. You?"  
  
"There was a door behind a tapestry above the fireplace in my tower. It led to that chamber over there," she gestured to dark corner on the side of the room opposite the staircase. "Then there was a tunnel that led here."  
  
"Interesting. How big was your chamber?" he asked, hoping it wasn't as big as his was.  
  
"About the same size as this one. I take it you're claiming this as your own?"  
  
"Oh. Uh, yes."  
  
"Good, that means I don't have to feel bad about claiming that one as my own." She turned and started back for her chamber.  
  
"Rowena?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Just remember to be careful, all right Ravenclaw?"  
  
"I will, don't worry." 


	6. Sword

The Founder's Troubles  
JudgeDP  
  
AN: I forgot to do this in the last chapter! Archanes is said are-cane-ease. Okay? I own nothing but Archanes, Adolf (yes, that is Hitler's first name but its meaning is cool and since Hitler has nothing to do with this fic and Adolf doesn't resemble him in anyway (I hope) no one should care), and any other one, thing or place.   
  
  
The next day all four children were awakened at dawn by a loud bell. Archanes took them down to a very large kitchen and had them make their own breakfasts. Rowena saw almost immedietly that the three nobleborns would be almost no help in this and quadroupled the size of meal she was preparing. True to their birth the others burnt their food or else made it so horribly that it was inedible, though they did have a delicious breakfast anyway. Next they were taken out to the forest to learn about plants and animals, magical and normal alike. This was followed by lunch, which was prepared magically by Archanes, then off for their magic lessons: potions, charms and transfiguration (unfortunetly it was all theory at the beginning). After that they were free to do what they wished until dinner. On that first day Helga took a nap, Godric explored the castle, Rowena went out to the barn to see Pest and Salazar went with her to take care of his horse, which had somehow ended up in there.   
  
"So what do you think of this place?" asked Salazar.   
  
"It's better than my other choices," sighed Rowena.   
  
"Being..?"   
  
"Death, a life alone in the woods, at least until something found me and decided to eat me."   
  
"That's not right."   
  
"I'm a serf, born and raised. I have no weapons, no way to defend myself besides Pest and any other birds that feel like helping. That's what would have happened."   
  
"I didn't know serfs had it so bad."   
  
"Actually, you and Godric would have faired worse unless of course you managed to save a noble's daughter or something to that extent, and Helga would have probably died or been raped, sad to say."   
  
"That's horrible."   
  
"Tis life."   
  
After a few moment's silence Salazar made some excuse about having to go do something and left Rowena to wonder what what that thing was.   
  
  
"Archanes?" Salazar asked when he found the sorcerer in a hidden tower (after asking about fifty snakes if they had seen him).   
  
"Salazar, good to see you. What brings you to my tower, and how did you happen to find it?" Archanes asked with a kindly smile.   
  
"I asked a few snakes."   
  
"So you are a parceltongue, I thought so."   
  
"Well, sir, I was wondering if you had a forge."   
  
"Of course, but why do you ask?"   
  
"I want to make a sword."   
  
"A very good idea. I was going to instruct you all in the making of a focus. Most people use wands, but I feel that something you can get more attatched to is in order. Plus you're all going to need them before we actually get into some hands on work. It's on the south side of the castle, just walk along it until you reach a door that says 'fire breather' go in and there's your forge. You can go to work immedietly, all the tools you will need will be in the back room. Have fun."   
  
  
Salazar didn't show up for dinner that night, and never made it to his bed, nor was he seen the next day when they were taught about focuses. It was only at dawn the day after that anyone ever saw him. Rowena was at the top of her tower, looking out at the sun rise when Salazar came up behind her.   
  
"Hello Slytherin, where have you been?" she asked, knowing he was behind her.   
  
"Down in the forge. Did you sleep well?"   
  
"No, I was worried about you." Salazar was silent for a moment so the girl continued. "You saved my life, I owe you and you're the only human on the planet that I trust fully."   
  
"Oh."   
  
"What were you doing in the forge?" Rowena asked, making Salazar wonder if she had known about the forge before.   
  
"Making this." He came up next to her and layed a long broad-sword on the stones. Rowena gasped. The sword shone in the dawn light and Rowena could see the name slytherin engraved on one of the blade's faces.   
  
"What's this?" she asked, her fingers tracing the blue and black symbol at the hilt's base. It was a profile of a profile of a bird on a blue background, both bird and background were obviously made of carved stone.   
  
"I figured that that could be your symbol, the Ravenclaw symbol anyway. If you don't like it-"   
  
"I love it and I can see that it must have taken you forever to carve the stones perfectly."   
  
"Not forever. I thought you could use it to defend yourself. I could teach you if you want."   
  
"I would love that, but I have a special purpose for this sword."   
  
"What?"   
  
"Did I tell you that I was betrothed?"   
  
"No," Salazar said his heart dropping, but the boy immedietly pulled it back up and shook off the emotion.   
  
"I don't think that I ever loved him, not in that way at least. Well, now that I have been banished and disowned the betrothal is deffinetly off thank God and I think that I will have to choose my husband very carefully. I will use the sword to defend myself but when I choose my husband I will give it to him so that he might use it for the same purpose." Salazar was about to protest that that was not what he had intended the sword for but Rowena continued. "And if he is the right man which I hope he will be or I will be forced to reacess my ability to judge, he will give it right back to me."   
  
Salazar was silent for a moment, trying to understand why the man should give it back. He finally gave up and whispered, "Why?"   
  
"Because my dear Slytherin. If he is the right man he will realize that I am not the kind to sit around the house all day knitting, cooking, taking care of the children or the kind to work in the feilds and when danger comes run away hoping someone will save me. That reminds me," she turned and hugged him tight, whipering in is ear, "thank you."   
  
He reluctantly pushed her away, "For what?"   
  
"Working so hard to save me from the poison. Pest told me what happened."   
  
"Blasted bird."   
  
The bell sounded throughout the castle.   
  
"Come on," Rowena said, pulling the young man down a flight of stairs, "time for breakfast. Then you're going to bed." Salazar didn't argue.   
  
  
  
AN: Yes, I know fluff. Its gotta be some disease transmitted through the internet, I don't know how but it is. Please review! Please!!!  



	7. Light

"Now Salazar," Archanes said the next day, "since you have not been with us for the past three days you have a lot of catching up to do." He and the young boy were sitting on the grass outside the castle. Rowena was in the forest, Godric in the forge and Helga in her rooms.   
  
"Yes sir."   
  
"During your absence we began our studies of focai, items used to channel magic. The most common of these is a wand. Yesterday Godric chose to create a sword as his own, I believe Helga is making a musical instrument of some sort and Rowena is on a quest in the forest to find what her own should be. Now the question is 'what will your own focus be?'"  
  
"I don't know sir. I would like to practice with a sword but-"   
  
"You have a special sword in mind," Archanes said the glint in his  
"But what if you do not earn the aforementioned sword?"   
  
"Then I shall always use a wand."   
  
"You nobles and your pride," the sorcerer muttered. "Oh well, if you must use a wand then it may present some problems. I would send you to a shop to find one but you never will, the centaurs have told me as much. You will have to discover your wand, just as Rowena is discovering her own focus. So, today you will read this," he held out his hand palm up, and a book fell into it, "it will tell you all about wands and tomorrow you will set out on your first journey into the forest to find your wand."   
  
"Yessir," Salazar muttered already reading the book.   
  
'I wonder how long it will take those two to find out what their true names really mean, and how long it will take the others to find their true names.'   
  
  
Rowena was racing through the forest. Unfortunetly she had ordered Pest to stay home which meant she would get none of his help in fending off the very large troll chasing her. She had been running for almost thirty minutes (this is medieval times, people were in better shape) and was getting very tired, very fast.   
  
"I knew I should have brought that sword.'   
  
Rowena jumped over a large bush and found herself in an underground cave. It was bathed in a blue light from florecent rocks embedded in the walls.   
  
'Well, at least the troll won't find me down here. I had better keep going anyway, just in case he stays around up there.'   
  
After an hour of walking the florecent rocks ended and Rowena was left in total darkness. Occationally the girl would hear the sound of clawed paws racing across the ground, but the sound was gone before she had a chance to pursue it. After another hour Rowena noticed the all too familiar pang of hunger in her stomach. Two hours later Rowena noticed a faint light at the end of the end of the tunnel and decided to follow it. After an hour the light had become blinding, so much so that Rowena had had to rip off some of her cloak and tie it around her head like a blindfold. To make matters worse the light was now accompanied by a low humming sound, that increased over the next half hour to a point that made the young girl's ears bleed. It suddenly occured to her that she was very close to the source of both light and sound. Just at that moment though, a force so alien that not even Rowena could comprehend it forced her to her hands and knees.   
  
**Who are you?** came a voice.   
  
"I- I am Rowena."   
  
**No! ** Another, greater force threw the girl into a sharp, jagged wall. **Only one could survive this long! Only one could come this far! Only one could find me! You are not that one!   
  
**"Then how did I come this far, how did I survive this long, how did I find you?"   
  
**Who are you? **  
  
"I-." Rowena stopped as Adolf's words came back to her, "Very good young Ravenclaw ...Ravenclaw and Slytherin will go to the old castle ...I knew that you had to be Ravenclaw because ravens are birds...." "I am Ravenclaw," she cried and even as she said the words another force hurled her into the wall once more, tearing off her blindfold and knocking her out.   
  
  
A werewolf slowly came out of the darkness at the other side of the makeshift room the Ravenclaw lay in and surveyed his surroundings. There were two ways into the room: the way he had come and a much larger opening at the otherside. In the center of the room was a sort of pedestal, on which something had obviously sat. The walls were jagged and sharp, and at the base of one lay the young girl. Her back was torn and bloody and in her hand was a crystal orb.   
  
The werewolf walked over to the girl, gently picked her up and carried her out of the cave. Although he spoke softly his words echoed the length of the tunnel, "Well done young Ravenclaw."   
  
Unfortunetly though, a werewolf only has his keen sense of smell during the full moon and so this one did not notice the dark figure watching him with angry eyes as he walked through the forest.   
  
  
Salazar was in the indago room practicing with his wand when Godric walked in.   
  
"Do you have any idea how long it took me to figure out where you were? not to mention how long it took me to figure out how to get in."   
  
"All you have to do is concentrate on which room you want to go to and walk through a door," Salazar said, not really paying attention. After a moment of silence he turned towards Godric only to be met with a very troubled face. "What's wrong?"   
  
"It's Rowena," Salazar felt his stomach drop, "Adolf brought her in. I didn't see her, Archanes won't let anyone in the room. When Adolf told us about it his arms were covered in blood, when we asked him... he said it was Rowena's."   
  
Salazar felt a cold rain wash over him and before he knew what was happening he had raised his wand arm (his right one), and sent out a blast so huge that the wand itself exploded. Godric looked to his right and surveyed the damage.   
  
"Well, it looks like we really do have something in common."   
  
"What?" asked Salazar in a dead sort of voice.   
  
"We both have issues with girls in pain or danger."   
  
"Maybe its girls for you, but it's girl for me. You won't tell her will you?"   
  
"Of course not, you just have to promise not to tell Helga."   
  
"Deal."   
  
The two shook hands and made their way up to see if Archanes would change his mind about letting someone in.   
  
  
  
A/N: Please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   
  
PS: I own nothing.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Histories

"Rowena?"   
  
Ravenclaw felt warmth coming back to her hands.   
  
"Rowena please."   
  
Slowly Ravenclaw opened her eyes, the sight that met her was anything but expected. Salazar was sitting by her bedside, holding her hands, head down.   
  
"Salazar."   
  
Salazar looked up smiling like a small child on Christmas morning.   
  
"You're all right."   
  
"Of course I am. Did you think a disembodied voice could beat me?"   
  
"Disembodied voice?"   
  
"Yes. It was in the cave. It was making the light and the sound."   
  
"Cave? Light? Sound? What are you talking about?"   
  
"Well. It all started when this troll started chasing me through the forest."   
  
  
"Well Archanes?" demanded Adolf. "You still haven't explained to me why you have allowed Salazar to go in there. You know she will tire herself out talking to him."   
  
"I know,"Archanes said. "I know as well as you their true names, and the true names of Godric and Helga. I also know that there was something following you through the forest, something that didn't dare follow you beyond the forest's border."   
  
"What? Was it a hunter? A hero who thinks killing a werewolf outside of a full moon is honorable?"   
  
"I am not sure but it was not following you, it was following Rowena."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"I am not sure, but if I do not sense its presence again until fall I will be brinning you with me when I take two of them to meet Cassandra."   
  
Adolf gave Archanes a look. "Cassandra the sorceress who trained with you under Paltone?" Archanes nodded. "Cassandra the sorceress who everytime she comes within twenty leagues of this castle has to come over here?" Archanes nodded again. "And who always ends up in bed with you?"   
  
"Not always."   
  
"Sure Archanes and I just love Diana."   
  
"According to that one poem you do."   
  
"I would kill you if I didn't need you to you train those children."   
  
"No you wouldn't, we're too good friends."   
  
"Darn you Archanes."   
  
  
"What are you going to do with the orb?" asked Helga the next day when Rowena was allowed to move around the castle. The two were sitting in a massive library looking through texts.   
  
"Put it on a staff I think. I'm not sure yet."   
  
"Did it really talk to you?"   
  
"I don't know. If it did it's being quiet now.   
  
"So what has everyone been doing for the past five days?"   
  
"Godric finished his sword, it's really beautiful. I made this," she said after a moment's thought and pulled out a wooden whistle. "It's my focus. I can play it or use it as a wand."   
  
"Can you show me?"   
  
"Of course." Helga lifted the whistle to her lips and played a tune. After a moment of playing Helga motioned with her eyes for Rowena to turn around, the taller girl did and was met with a scroll six inches behind her head. Rowena snatched it out of the air and turned back to her friend.   
  
"Very nice," Rowena said as she handed the scroll to Helga.   
  
"Thank you," the blond said, taking the scroll and opening it. A while later she looked up to see Rowena thoroughly involved in some ancient Greek scroll (yes it was ancient even then). "Where _did_ you learn to read? No offense, but you're a serf."   
  
"None taken. My grandfather taught me at first, but then he died and my cousin taught me the rest."   
  
"Was your cousin older than you so he learned more before your grandfather died?"   
  
"Yes, but that is not why he learned more. My grandfather was once a noble but he was disgraced and stripped of his title and lands. One of his friends promised to help him if my aunt would marry his son. My aunt agreed and bore her husband many children but she died many years ago. When that happened her husband who was then and is now in charge of the fief became enraged. He said my grandfather gave him a daughter who he knew would die sooner than the rest, he set my grandfather and my whole family to work in the fields. My grandfather died three years later, I was five. He had taught me Latin, Greek, Roman and many other languages. My cousin would sneak down to our home between riding and fighting lessons and teach me how to read and write in five other languages, Pest learned with me since he was only an egg."  
  
"That's horrible. What about your parents, what happened to them?"   
  
"My mother died a week after my aunt of the same disease. My father is a serf, always has been."   
  
"I'm sorry."   
  
"It's all right. What about your family?"   
  
"Oh. My parents were a lord and lady. They were content to just sit around, taxing the serfs and occationally paying tribute to the king. When they found out that my dreams were becoming real and scaring away my governesses they banished and-"   
  
"And disowned you. It's the same story for everyone. Isn't their more to tell? No magical realtives for you either?"   
  
"None. But, my uncle is said to be an assassin."   
  
"Really?"   
  
"Yes, but my father refused to talk about it and my mother fainted whenever someone even asked if I had an uncle or she a brother."   
  
"Well, you cannot expect much frm noble women. To tell you the truth I didn't think much of you when I first saw you, but then I spoke with you."   
  
"Thank you Rowena."   
  
"Thank _you_ for listening Helga."   
  
"Now I just have one question Rowena."   
  
"What?"   
  
"What were the men in your village like. I hear that all that hard labor makes them more attractive."   
  
Rowena got a strange look in her eye for a moment then pushed the scrolls and volumes away consenting to the girl talk.   
  
  
'I cannot allow her to be in that castle with those _freaks_ any longer than necessary, but I cannot face that man. I will have to wait until he has gone, then I will get her out of there. No one will doubt her sanity once her uncle defends her, which he undoubtebly will, then we shall be wed as fate intended it.' The dark figure lifted his glass and jugged down all of its contents. He left a tip on the table and exited the pub; kicking a grounded bird as he walked along the street.   
  
  
  
  
A/N: Wow! Two chapters in two days! Don't think of this as a growing trend with me, it's just because I'm free of school for ten days. WooHoo!!!!!! All right, now on to more serious matters. Who is this mysterious figure? Who is he calling "freaks?!" And what does he want with "her" (Rowena if you haven't noticed)? I will post soon, all you have to do is remember to review!   
  
  
  
PS: I own everything not in the Harry Potter books, nothing else.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	9. Crows, babies, skulls, and roses

  
  
  
The Founder's Troubles - chapter 9  
JudgeDP  
  
  
  
The dark figure slowly walked into the musky shop. Beautifully colored cloth and chains of beads hung up everywhere, but their beauty was lost in the darkness of the shop. A pile of skulls sat on a shelf, with one lone skull right side up to the right of its fellow dead. Animal inards (AN: I love that word) were sorted into various jars on other shelves. Old scrolls and books were arranged in some sort of order in a rather large bookcase beside this was a grandfather clock with a dead crow perched on top.   
  
"Hello boy," came a crusty voice, perfect for cackles, "what do you desire of dear old Grandmother?"   
  
"I need a way to get, a friend back." "Not just any friend I see. Well," a knarled hand appeared from behind some cloth and beconed him forward. "don't keep an old bird like me waiting, I might get angry and peck your eyes out! Come, come and Grandmother will tell you how to get this 'friend' back."   
  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" asked Rowena, peaking over Salazar's shoulder.   
  
"Nothing!" he said and quickly spung around while standing up, shielding what he had been working on from view. A few of the snakes laughed at this. "Quiet!" he snapped. "You should have warned me she was coming!" Both young sorcerers were in Salazar's hidden chamber.   
  
"Nothing, hm? Then I guess there will be no problem with me seeing it, will there?" Rowena asked. Before Salazar could answer Rowena had rushed past him, knocking him to the ground. "Oh! It's darling! I knew you were keeping something from me, but this!"   
  
"You know what it is?" Salazar asked, rubbing his head.   
  
"Of course I know what it is! I sneak past Archanes wards and look at the forbidden texts just as much as you do. Oh, he's so cute! He is a he, isn't he?"   
  
In her hands Rowena held a snake the size of a small rattle snake, he beared his fangs at her but drew them back in when she began scratching his chin.   
  
"Yes, he's male," Salazar sighed. "You won't tell anyone will you?"   
  
"Of course not, just promise you won't tell anyone."   
  
"Why would I tell anyone about him when I just made you promise not to?"   
  
"Not about him."   
  
"Then what?"   
  
Rowena sighed. "Come and see." She got up, handed the baby Basilisk to Salazar and led him to the tunnel connecting their two chambers. When they had made it through to the other side Salazar was shacked at what met his eyes. It looked almost exactly like what he had done, put a chicken egg under a toad, but what lay before him was no chicken egg. "Is that a-?"   
  
"It was supposed to be a surprise, to thank you for the sword."   
  
"Is that a-?"   
  
"Phoenix egg. One of them owes me, and since she this was her second and they don't usually live without magical interference anyway...."   
  
"Won't she be mad that you're turning her second born into a snake?"   
  
"No, she and her husband both died a week ago."   
  
"That's horrible."   
  
"Yes, but he never would have survived on his own."   
  
"Oh. How long have you had the egg under the toad? It took mine a fortnight to hatch, but that was a chicken egg. Do you even know if this will work?"   
  
"No, but I think we are about to find out."   
  
The toad hopped off the egg and disappeared into the surrounding darkness of the chamber. The egg though began to swell and a sound more beautiful than any either children had heard came from it. Suddenly and with a mighty heave the egg shattered and in its place lay a snake slightly smaller than the one Salazar held in his hands and covered in feathers all along its back.   
  
"Oh!" exclaimed Rowena rushing to pick the tiny thing up in her arms. "He's so tiny."   
  
"What was that music?" whispered Salazar, brinning a very curious basilisk up to meet the new one.   
  
"Phoenix song," Rowena whispered just as quitely as she put her hands beside Salazars so the two serpents could meet.   
  
"Will he make it again?"   
  
"I don't know. We should name them."   
  
"Slink and Slither."   
  
"Which one's which?"   
  
"Yours is Slink, mine is Slither."   
  
"They aren't mine or yours, if anything they are ours."   
  
Salazar was about to ask what she meant when he caught Slither looking up at him and saying, "Father," then turning to Rowena and saying, "Mother." "I guess you're right. This is going to be a lot of work."   
  
"Good, then you won't mind teaching me Parseltongue in the midst of it."   
  
Salazar looked at her in wonder then said, "As long as you teach me how to talk to birds."   
  
"Then here is your first lesson; I have no idea what humans call the language but birds call it Flocksong."   
  
"But all birds don't flock."   
  
"That doesn't matter to them, it is only a name."   
  
"Oh."   
  
  
"I have done as you asked," called the dark figure as he slammed into the shop over a year later. He threw down a sack which was leaking some liquid onto Grandmother's table, the girl sitting across from the old woman jumped up in surprise.   
  
Grandmother glanced angrilly at the man but her face softened as she turned to the girl and said, "All you need to do is go out into the front of the shop, under the lone skull will be a bag, do not be frightened that it moves! nothing within will harm _you_, place the contents into this mans bed tonight. I will warn you though, the thing in the bag will sting you, but it is the sting that will work the magic on him. All that night after the creature stings him he will dream of you and in the morning will be madly in love with you and do anything to please you. Now go! and remember to leave all the money in that purse where you'll find the bag!" The girl fled from the table, gathered the sack from beneath the skull and left. When she was gone the crow came in and looked in the woman's eye. "Idiot girl!" Grandmother exclaimed. "Now I will have to take revenge on her! And she was so kind to dear old Grandmother too."   
  
"She didn't pay you I take it?" asked the man as the bird flew back to its perch.   
  
"No."   
  
"What will you do to her?"   
  
"That is none of your concern." The old woman opened the sack and cried out in glee, not an at all pleasent sound, "You killed him!"   
  
"It was no easy task I'll tell you. That dragon was huge!"   
  
"I know, that is precisely why I sent you. I knew you wouldn't care how big it was you're so blinded by-"   
  
"Love, yes it will do strange things to men."   
  
"No! I was going to say that you are so blinded by your need to possess this person."   
  
"I love her!"   
  
"Yes and I love kneazles. Come now it is almost time for you to stirke. Tomorrow that blasted wizard will be leaving with two of the children, your 'friend' is not one of them, she will come back to you easily. But beware! A vile prophecy from long ago is said to be fulfilled within the next two moons, it may be fulfilled in you."   
  
"Will I need anything to get into the castle?"   
  
"Only to wait for your friend to come out, play on her weaknesses and she will welcome you in. The other person in the castle may be a problem though. It seems he has feelings for her and will use all his resources to keep her if he feels she is leaving against her will."   
  
"How can I overcome him?"   
  
"One of three ways. First get her to come with you, of her own will, to this shop. Once here I will put her in a trance and she will be yours forever. Second get her to give you the sword."   
  
"What sword?"   
  
"The sword of her honor. She will only give it to one she truely loves and she cannot escape its hold on her. The third and final way to get her is to take the sword by force. Once you hold it she will not be able to go against you if you do not want her to. But! if you should let go of the sword or lose it she is free and may lash out at you with all her might. That is why it will be in your best interests to come to me once you have the sword so that I may put her in a trance."   
  
"Thank you Grandmother, I will return soon." With that the dark figure left the shop to make his way toward the castle.   
  
"That you will boy, that you will."   
  
  
That afternoon Archanes gathered the children together.   
  
"Helga will you please stop playing your flute? Godric, put your sword away! Rowena, turn your staff's orb off! Salazar would you stop making the furniture float?" To put it simply Archanes was discovering the joys of taking care of four young sorcerers. When they had all sat down he took some magical pain killer and said, "Are you four _trying_ to drive me mad?"   
  
Salazar opened his mouth to answer but Rowena put a hand on his arm and shook her head at him.   
  
"Now, the reason I called you all here today is because I am planning a trip to go see an old friend of mine, a Miss Cassandra. She is one of the most powerful sorceresses I know and I want to take two of you with me to meet her. I have given this a lot of thought and have decided to take Godric and Helga. Adolf will be coming along as well so I want you two," he looked at Rowena and Salazar, "to be on your best behavior."   
  
"Why would we not be?" asked Salazar.   
  
"That goes double for you Salazar! I have asked the centaurs to look in on your from time to time."   
  
"How long will we be gone?" asked Helga.   
  
"Quite a while I imagine, at least until Adolf cannot stand it anymore and drags us all home."   
  
"Why would Adolf not be able to tolerate the sorceress?" asked Godric.   
  
"Because Godric," said Archanes, "he does not like her due to some of her, er, practices. Now out with all of you! I expect Godric and Helga to be ready to leave by dawn tomorrow!"   
  
"I cannot believe he chose you two over us!" exclaimed Salazar when they were well away from Archanes rooms.   
  
"What are you so unhappy about?" asked Rowena. "He knows that we want to stay here."   
  
"And why might that be?" asked Helga, obviously hinting at something.   
  
"We talk to the inhabitants of the forest," said Salazar flatly. "They teach us things that Archanes never does."   
  
"'Inhabitants,'" said Godric, "I didn't think you would know such a large word Salazar."   
  
"Have you always been prone to such suicidal tendancies or was this a resent development?"   
  
"I thought that was you, Salazar. It was you and Rowena who pulled Helga and me into this castle to face those tests."   
  
  



	10. The Past Returns Ravenclaw

  
  
  
The Founders Troubles - chapter 10  
JudgeDP  
  
  
  
"What are you doing here?" asked Godric as he practiced his sword play.   
  
"I am here because I am always here."   
  
"Listen Hat, I do enjoy your company but, well, aren't you supposed to help all of us?"   
  
"By 'us' you mean you and your three fellow pupils?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Well, truth be told you are the only one left."   
  
"What?" Godric asked, panic in his voice.   
  
"I have tried to spend time with all of you, but it is so hard. I do spend time with Helga but in the middle of the day when she is practicing her music, right now she is digging around in the dirt and heaven knows I look tattered enough without a fresh coat of dirt. Salazar is almost always off somewhere where I cannot find him and Rowena is with him half the time. Then when she isn't with him she is surrounded by those birds and they always poke and pick at me. You are my last choice for this time of day."   
  
"It is after dinner, I am sure that one of them is doing something you can stand."   
  
"No. Helga is giving her plants one last talk before you leave tomorrow."   
  
"What about Salazar?"   
  
"Salazar has disappeared and Rowena with him."   
  
"So what you are saying is that I am never going to be rid of you, correct?"   
  
"Correct. If the four of you had a massive fight this very day and went your seperate ways I would go with you."   
  
"So in a sense-"   
  
"I belong to you first, eventually I will belong to all of you equally, but not now."   
  
"You have got to be the most insane hat I have ever met."   
  
"How many hat's have you met that could talk?"   
  
"Good point."   
  
  
The next day Godric, Helga, Adolf, Archanes and Hat set out for Cassandra's house and it was not until a week later that the trouble started. First though the travelers reached Cassandra's home three days later after being sped up by magic. Cassandra lived in what appeared to be a small, beaten down cottage at first sight but when one entered they found that it was really the size of a mansion. Cassandra herself was very imposing. The woman had knee length, jet-black hair, and black eyes. She was the most beautiful woman either of the children had ever seen.   
  
Days later after everyone had gotten settled (Archanes and Cassandra sharing a room, Helga and Godric with seperate ones, and Archanes sleeping in the surrounding forest of his own choice) the boys were outside studying what Godric needed the most work on: plants, and the girls were inside studying what Helga needed the most work on: divination.   
  
"Do you actually spend all your time outside?" Cassandra asked kindly.   
  
"Yes, I like to help the flowers bloom and the plants grow," Helga said not looking up from the ancient scroll she was reading, it was the twentieth she had tried to decifer that day and her eyes were beginning to hurt.   
  
"Come on," said Cassandra, grabbing the scroll out of the girl's hands, "I have some vegetables that need some work and we've looked at these long enough."   
  
"But-"   
  
"Come on!" Cassandra began pulling the girl to her feet and Helga had no choice but to give in. 'I am going to have to ask Rowena to help me stregthen my muscles when we get home,' she thought.   
  
  
"I cannot believe I promised Helga I would look after her plants," Rowena said to no one imparticular.   
  
She had left Pest at home with Salazar to help him work with the babies who weren't so much babies anymore. They had reached half of their full length and Rowena was beginning to worry about how they were going to keep the two a secret. Rowena had learned Parseltongue very quickly, Salazar still needed some words clarified for him but the girl was sure he would be as good as a born Flocksong, eventually. It didn't really matter how much Flocksong Salazar learned though, Slither would listen only to Parseltongue and Slink would only listen to both parents when they were in unison. That meant that they couldn't be fighting and it helped if they held hands, both complained, a lot.   
  
"Aahr," came a sound from within the forest, not ten feet away from the girl.   
  
"Hello? Brother stargazers? Brother moonchangers?"   
  
"Aahr," the sound came again and was now accompanied by a very familiar, "hello?"   
  
"Yes? What are you?"   
  
"Human, what else?"   
  
"You are in these woods and you think humans the only beasts that speak? You must either be blind or not what you say you are, which is it?"   
  
"I would know that tongue anywhere," came the voice, "Rowena? Is that you?"   
  
"Answer my question first."   
  
"Neither. I am human, but not blind."   
  
"I am Rowena. Who are you?"   
  
"It is me," came the voice, the owner obviously trying to drag himself, "Thomas Eleaf."   
  
Rowena raced the ten feet and jumped over a bush to see-  
  
  
"My old betrothed," Rowena said. She and Salazar were sitting outside the room Rowena had been in after her fight in the cave. Rowena had asked an owl to get Salazar's horse, while she had waited with him Thomas had passed out. He looked as though he had been in a fight with any number of the forests inhabitants. The horse had come and taken Thomas through the castle to the room he was presently in, the horse had left before Salazar arrived.   
  
"Your what?!" Salazar thundered. Two scared quakes could be heard coming from beneath them.   
  
"He _was_, and I emphasize the word was, my betrothed. I have no idea what he is doing here."   
  
"I do!" Another quake.   
  
"Salazar, calm down, you're only frightening them."   
  
'Them, what about me?' thought the parseltongue, but he kept it to himself. "All right. Do you know what happened to him?"   
  
"I was attacked by beasts," Thomas said. He stood in the door of the room, leaning on the frame. He was your regular tall, dark and handsome who was fairly beat up.   
  
"What kind?" asked Salazar.   
  
"It was dark, I couldn't see."   
  
"Hmph," the parceltongue mumbled.   
  
Seeing the building tension Rowena grabbed Thomas' hand. "Come on, you shouldn't be up and we have to start on dinner."   
  
"All right," Thomas said kindly.   
  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" Salazar asked when Rowena walked into the kitchens.   
  
"I'm helping an old friend."   
  
"An old bethrothed!"   
  
"Salazar there was never anything there, we were only betrothed because we got along when we were young, that is all." Salazar opened his mouth to say something but Rowena silenced him with a look, "Drop it Parceltongue, just drop it."   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	11. Stupid, stupid guy and girl

"Cassandra!" Helga cried.   
  
"What?" panted the sorceress as she ran over. "No blood? This had better be important."   
  
"It is." Helga handed Cassandra an _old_ scroll. "I'm not entirely sure what it's talking about yet, exactly but it's important. Aparently four will come together, each will be met by great trials, some faced together, others alone. I've only gotten far enough to determine that someone, not of the four, will be bitten by two great serpents, and die."   
  
"Why don't you go and see Godric, I think he's with Hat in the training yard. I'm going to take this to Archanes."   
  
"Will we be able to help whoever it is?"   
  
"I do not know." As the girl walked out of the library the sorceress continued, "They may not deserve help."   
  
  
"Why _are_ you here Thomas?" asked Rowena. The girl had come up to eat dinner with Thomas, after silently making it with Salazar.   
  
"I am here to bring you home."   
  
"This is my home now Thomas."   
  
"No Rowena," said Thomas, sitting up and grabbing her hands, "this is not your home. Your home is with your family."   
  
"I was disowned Thomas."   
  
"True, but that makes no difference to me or your cousin. He will welcome you back and no one will question his judgement."   
  
"That is not the point Thomas. I like it here, here I am treated as an equal not because the others were born into the same position I was, they weren't, but because they see _me_, not my family."   
  
"People at home know you are their better-"   
  
"Because of my family!"   
  
"_I_ see you." Thomas pulled the girl into a passionate kiss.   
  
  
"If he thinks I'm going to leave her alone with him he's got another think coming." The parceltongue cursed as he hit his head on the top of the vent. Archanes had said that the castle was modeled after those of past and future, lucky for the young spy. "If he lays one hand on her I'll-"   
  
"You'll what?" asked a passing snake.   
  
"None of your business!" the boy hissed.   
  
"Well then I won't tell you about _their_ business."   
  
"What?!" Salazar hurried along the vent completely forgetting the snerpent as it slithered away.   
  
"I see you." Came the voice of that ************ (pick any word, most work). Salazar slowly peeked into the room and slithered away himself.   
  
  
"What do you think you are doing?!" Rowena hissed (in english), careful not to scare the two basilisks. She pushed away from Thomas, knocking her chair over in the process and almost tripping on the bed next to his as she backed away.   
  
"Rowena I-"   
  
"No! No do not say it. Do not say what you do not mean."   
  
"I do mean it!" Thomas stood, his eyes barely containing his anger. He softened as he looked in her eyes and reflected on her actions. "What has happened to the Rowena I knew?" he asked, reaching out to touch her cheek. She backed away. "What has happened to you? You were once so confident that that would have brought forth a shriek that shook the heavens!"   
  
"People change."   
  
"No, not you. There is a reason you don't cry out. Are you afraid that that brat will come in and cut me down? He cannot defeat me! I faced the most feared dragon in Europe to find you! I-"   
  
"Then how did you get defeated by a few animals in the forest?" Rowena asked. "There are no dragons in our forest and none greater than Strabo, but then you're lying are you not? Word of Strabo's, yes I am on a first name basis with the most feared dragon in existence, would have reached here faster than the wind. And you could not possibly have defeated a dragon and then been beaten by something in that forest."   
  
Thomas grabbed the girls throat. "Tell me," he breathed, eyes wild, "why you do not cry out."   
  
"I-"   
  
"Spit it out!"   
  
"Slink! Slither!" The ground began to shake as the two serpents raced to the room.   
  
"What is this?!" Thomas cried, finally releasing his hold on Rowena.   
  
"You had best run Thomas, they think of me as their mother and are very protective."   
  
"I shall return!" Thomas yelled as he ran from the room and castle.   
  
Rowena breathed a sigh of relief as Slink and Slither entered the room. "Thank you, both of you. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come."   
  
  
Salazar raced after the boy, looking to Thomas much like a bringer of death, even with his white charger.   
  
"Come back here! You will pay if you hurt her!" After about fifteen minutes of racing through the forest Salazar slowed. "Come on boy, it's a full moon tonight, there's little chance of him surviving."   
  
  
"I wonder how the others are doing," said Helga as she watched Godric practice.   
  
"They are fine, I assure you," said Hat", sitting next to her.   
  
"How do you know?"   
  
"Because Salazar would die before allowing harm to come to Rowena and if anyone harms Salazar they'll have to deal with Rowena, not to mention every bird in the forest."   
  
"You do have a point."   
  
"Of course I do. My job is looking after all of you children, I should think I know something about the innermost workings of your minds."   
  
Helga gave Hat a strange look, but decided to question him about his meaning later.   
  
  
The sight that met Salazars eyes when he entered the room Thomas had been in was one he wanted to keep forever. Slink and Slither were curled up on the floor, Rowena lying the very center. Salazar slowly made his way over to her, careful not to wake the snakes, they got cranky when woken up.   
  
"Rowena?" Salazar lightly shook her shoulder.   
  
"Salazar?"   
  
"Are you all right?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Did he-?"   
  
"No. He just got angry when he realized that I don't love him."   
  
"Oh."   
  
The same snake that had spoken to Salazar in the vents came in. "There are some centaurs here to see you," it said, then slunk away as if none of it had been worth his time.   
  
"I'll take care of them," Salazar said, taking out his wand and floating a blanket over, "you rest."   
  
Before he could make it to the door he heard Rowena's voice, "What happened to Thomas?"   
  
"He got away, but I don't think he'll come back."   
  
"Let's hope not," Rowena said sleepily. As Salazar closed the door he heard her say, "Thank you Salazar."   
  
  
"Grandmother!" Thomas yelled as he burst through the door of the little shop. "Grandmother where are you?!"   
  
"My dear boy! So nice to see you again! But where is your lady friend?" Grandmother stood by her table, a cruel smile playing on her face.   
  
"She screamed and called these _beasts_ to her! She told me to run and I didn't know what else to do so I did run, ran from what I couldn't even see! Then that ****** (AN: again, most anything fits) came at me with his charger! What are you laughing at?!"   
  
"Come and see." Grandmother led the way into the back of the shop, a part Thomas had never seen before. When he was well inside Grandmother said simply, "Lumos."   
  
Now Thomas could clearly see what sat within that room. In the back corner was a cage and within it was a water siren. Her lower half was that of a fish and on the sides of her neck gills were plainly vissible, the rest of her though looked exactly like the girl that had not paid Grandmother just days before.   
  
"I told you I would have to get back at her," Grandmother said, her voice full of mirth. The old woman walked up to the cage and reached in, beckoning the siren closer as she would an animal. "I am going to have to find a use for her eventually, but for now this is enough."   
  
"What is enough?" Thomas asked. The siren had actually come to the old woman and was now being pet.   
  
"Driving her mad of course!" The siren blinked suddenly and pulled back, her eyes angry. "As you can see my dear boy she is having problems adjusting to her new form. Her human self despises me, but the fish is a simple creature who merely wants to be loved by its owner. It is driving her mad."   
  
"Oh," said Thomas, obviously disgusted.   
  
"Just another reason why you should not cross me," said Grandmother.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer: I own very few things in this story Thomas, Grandmother, Cassandra, Archanes and the sirn-girl included. I do not own Strabo. He belongs to Terry Brooks, I suggest you go read his Landover books: Magic Kingdom For Sale-Sold!, The Black Unicorn, and Wizard at Large. They are very good.   
  
Review!  
  
  
  



	12. Lots of stuff caused by other stuff

  
  
  
The Founder's Troubles  
JudgeDP  
  
Author's Note: I know, I know I haven't updated forever and I'm sorry about that. Life has been hectic. I warn you I don't think I'll be writing steadily for a while, or at least not well. I get two shocking phone calls this morning. The first was that my cousin once removed and his wife are having a baby, the second was that one of my oldest friends in the world was in a car crash last night and is in a coma. I ask you all to pray for her and to understand that my ability to write well goes down somewhat when I'm shaken.   
  
  
  
"Come now my dear boy," said Grandmother, beconing Thomas forward with one knarled finger. "I can send you directly to the underground chamber where Rowena keeps her sword, then all you have to do is grab it and order her here where I shall make her yours forever."   
  
"There is no need to _make_ her mine," Thomas said as Grandmother rolled her eyes at this old topic, "she loves me, I know it. But those _monsters_ have done something to her."   
  
"All right, I will undo whatever they have done to her, does that suit your wishes?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"Wonderful, now be gone!" And in a bright blast of smoke Thomas disappeared.   
  
The once-village-girl-now-siren made a series of noises.   
  
"No my dear, he will not be coming back, at least not the way he thinks. Now come to Grandmother," the cage around the siren disappeared, "let her brush your pretty, pretty hair." And at that moment the fish part of the girl won over and she flopped over to let the woman comb her hair, as obedient as a pup.   
  
  
"What did he do?" asked Salazar as calmly as he could.   
  
"He-" Rowena began but bit her tongue back in defeat. "He wanted me to return with him."   
  
"I knew it!" The two basilisks looked up sharply. "Sorry. It's just-"   
  
"No need," Rowena held up a hand. "I should have listened to you instead of telling you to-" Rowena fell to the ground. Salazar caught her, holding her in his arms as he sunk to the ground.   
  
"What's wrong?"   
  
"The sword," was all the young Ravenclaw could say before passing out. Salazar quickly lifted her up, placed her gently on the bed and ran out of the room, Slink and Slither on his tail.   
  
"What does she mean?" asked Slither.   
  
"She means," said Salazar as he ran, "the sword that she would only give to the one she loved."   
  
"Oh," said both serpents, looks of horror on their faces.   
  
  
Thomas stood in the Ravenclaw chamber looking around. He could see very little in the dim light that seemed to come from no where and everywhere at once, but when he finally saw a sword standing upright with no support whatsoever he knew he had found his prize.   
  
"What is this?!" cried Thomas as he came to ten feet from the sword. A wall of blue and bronze light had come up, blocking his way.   
  
"Rowena," came Salazar's voice, clear as a bell in the deserted chamber. Lights flared up along all the walls, letting the theif see the boy and his two serpents at the other end of the chamber.   
  
"What do you mean 'Rowena?'"   
  
"I mean that she is the one making that wall, she wants no one handling her sword just yet." Salazar started forward, hand hovering over sword hilt.   
  
"You think to defeat me boy?" Thomas asked in an amused voice. "Very well, I am in need of a good laugh."   
  
The two swords were out and the rivals rushing at eachother before Thomas had time even to draw another breath. Salazar's sword flew like a bat out of Hades, but Thomas had grown accustomed to fighting in his arrands for Grandmother and was pretty talented himself. As the two became engroased in their battle neither noticed that the wall of blue and bronze had disappeared. Slink pointed this out to Slither and while neither was watching their father sent his opponents sword flying, right between them.   
  
"You have lost," Salazar hiss-growled, "you were allowed out of this castle once, but not again."   
  
And as the sword made its way for Thomas' throat many things happened. First Rowena finally made it to the chamber, noticed by no one since Thomas was about to die. Second Thomas somehow managed to roll away from the oncoming blade and made a leap for the sword. This caused Rowena to cry out and send a blast of power around the sword, knocking Thomas back. Slink and Slither finally noticed their mother when she cried out and were smart enough to realize Thomas had made her do so, this infuriated them and in their violent rage they both dashed for Thomas bit him. In seconds Thomas was dead from the poison. Slink and Slither, not caring about their resent kill went back to comfort their mother, who was kneeling on the floor, holding her head in her hands.   
  
  
Salazar looked at the picture before him, so much like the one he had viewed less than an hour before and yet so different. He dropped his sword and walked toward the three, he kneeled down before Rowena and said, "Are you all right?"   
  
Rowena looked up in surprise but after a moment her face softened. She looked from Salazar's warm eyes to Thomas' carcass on the ground, from their to the sword Salazar had dropped and finally back to Salazar. Her face hardened in resolve she got up and went to her own sword. She gingerly picked it up and tested its weight, looking down its shining blade. She then turned and made her way back towards the others. When she came before Salazar she kneeled, holding the sword before her.   
  
"It is yours."   
  
Salazar looked down at the brown head of hair with shock and surprise. He saw her then as he had first seen the back of her head, a girl who did not care what rank he was only that he was human and that was why he liked her, that and the fact that it didn't matter how much charm he used on her, it never worked.   
  
"Why?"   
  
Rowena looked up. "You defended it, not because you expected any reward, but because you cared."   
  
"Oh," Salazar looked up, since looking down would mean meeting her eyes.   
  
"That and... and I love you."   
  
Salazar looked down in shock, Rowena's eyes were hidden from him once more, but he didn't care. He pulled her up and kissed her. He kissed her once and only once, since even that was not proper. Then their eyes met and their hands found eachother and Salazar took the sword, causing a shiver to run through the girl.   
  
"I will protect it always."   
  
"I know."   



	13. Little Snake

  
  
The Founder's Troubles  
JudgeDP  
  
  
  
"I cannot believe what Thomas did," Rowena said the next day over breakfast.   
  
"I cannot believe that one of the centaurs hasn't come to check on us, I made a lot of noise when I went after him."   
  
"The full moon was last night, Salazar, they're busy."   
  
"Good point." After a few moments of silence he asked, "Are you all right?"   
  
"I'm fine Salazar."   
  
"Good." He collected their plates and cleaned them, then grabbed an apple as an extra treat for his horse. "Rowena?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"If you want your sword back-"   
  
"No. I want you to keep it."   
  
"All right then." A awkward silence ensued as the two left the kitchen and made for the barn. "I think we have a problem," Salazar said halfway there.   
  
"Why?" Rowena asked, looking up.   
  
"Look." He gestured toward a statue of a one-eyed witch who used to have a hump. The pieces were now scattered about the floor.   
  
"What could have happened?" Rowena asked, racing toward it. A hole had been dug straight through the statue and into the ground beneath. "Where do you think it leads?"   
  
"I don't know, but I can bet who made it."   
  
"Then you'd probably be wrong," came an all too familiar voice. It was the snake Salazar had met in the vents while spying on Rowena and Thomas.   
  
"Why would he be wrong?" asked Rowena kindly.   
  
"Because you both think he's dead and your accent is atrocious child."   
  
"Who?" the two humans chorused.   
  
"That horrible boy who the two basilisks bit yesterday."   
  
"_He _made that?" Rowena said in disbelief.   
  
"Oh yes, he has gone through quite a transformation."   
  
"What do you mean?" asked Salazar.   
  
"He has become," the snake giggled slightly, "a half human, half snake. His upper body retains the shape it once was but it is now covered in scales, he no longer has legs but a serpentine tail, he has deadly fangs, a forked tongue, and a snakes eyes. He is magnificent!"   
  
"Oh no," Rowena's face had gone ashen.   
  
"Oh don't worry m'lady," hissed the snake, "he won't be coming after you, no not for a while anyway."   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"He is terribly angry at Grandmother and will most likely attack her, this will cause her to take revenge on him, not a pretty thing at all." With that the snake slithered away, chuckling at the torment that was most likely befalling the snakeman.   
  
The two teens looked at eachother in shock.   
  
"Let's fix this statue," said Salazar.   
  
"Then let us find out who this Grandmother is," said Rowena.   
  
  
"Tsk, tsk tsk," said Grandmother, looking into the cage that had once housed the new siren. "You should have known better than to cross me Thomas, after seeing what I did to my deary here," the siren made the fish equivelent of purring as Grandmother stroked her hair.   
  
The siren's head lay in Grandmother's lap while her tail flopped about every so often on the stone floor. She had become fully fish now, her only joy came from pleasing Grandmother. In the cage was Thomas, just as the snake had described him, his golden scales sparkling in the dim light.   
  
"No words of anger Thomas? No matter, I will find a use for you yet. For now, I think that you will make excellent practice for my new pet, don't you dearie?" The siren purred once more. "Good, now sing to him and drive him mad! Mwahahahahahahahaha!" Grandmother exited the room, leaving the low meldious music and thrashing snakeman behind.   



	14. The Past Returns Slytherin

The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 14: Old Friends  
JudgeDP  
  
  
  
  
"Finally," sighed Adolf from atop his horse, "we are going home. Not that I do not enjoy your home Cassandra," he said politely to the witch, "but I do love my own dearly."   
  
"I understand Adolf," Cassandra said kindly. "Take care of Archanes for me, will you?"   
  
"Archanes is a big wizard, he can take care of himself."   
  
"Then," she levitated herself so that she could speak in his ear, "take care of the children, you know what that prophecy says about them."   
  
"I know, and I will."   
  
"Thank you my friend," she gave him a peck on the cheek and floated back to the ground.   
  
"Goodbye Cassandra," Godric said, forever the king's son.   
  
"Promise you'll come visit us, please?" pleaded Helga.   
  
"I will try Helga. Now off with you all! Rowena and Salazar will worry about you if you are too late arriving home."   
  
"The lady has a fine point!" cried Archanes. "Onward!" The four, five if you count Hat, started off for what would one day be Hogwarts.   
  
  
"This letter says that they have been delayed by a freak storm and that they plan on staying where they are and helping with repairs," said Rowena at breakfast one fine thursday morning.   
  
"How did it get here so fast if they're stuck in a storm?" asked Salazar.   
  
"Archanes used a spell to apparate it directly to the castle."   
  
"Oh. Well, that gives us a couple more weeks to make sure that hollow hump holds."   
  
"Let's hope it does, or we're going to have to explain all about Thomas-"   
  
"-and the basilisks-"   
  
"-and the sword-"   
  
"-and a mess of other things neither of us feels like explaining."   
  
"Exactly."   
  
BOOM!   
  
"What was that?!" the two cried in unison.   
  
"I'll check the north and east sections, you check the south and west," commanded Salazar.   
  
"Be careful," called Rowena as they sped off in opposite directions.   
  
"You too!"   
  
  
'Whatever made that noise must have been north or east,' thought Rowena, 'there is nothing here.' When Rowena was only halfway back to the kitchens she noticed an open door that she was sure had been closed before. 'Then again maybe not. I really should carry my staff with me more.'   
  
Rowena eased into the room and was surprised to find it in full light with nothing but a table in it. She went over to the table, ripped off its cloth and, finding nothing beneath, turned to leave the room. It was only when her back was turned did something fall from the ceiling onto the table and put a hand over her mouth, pulling her close.   
  
'Why does this always happen to me?' she thought while being exceedingly grateful that it was a human hand over her mouth. She was very surprised when her captor turned, placing her between the table and him and let her go.   
  
"This is not a safe place for a lady to be wandering about," came a soothing male voice, which only added to Rowena's anger. She spun about and was shocked to find herself face to face with a man who bore a striking resemblance to Salazar.   
  
  
"Well well well," said Salazar, kicking the door to one of the dungeons closed behind him. "I see we have an intruder."   
  
A boy who seemed not a year older than Salazar stood before him. The boy had dirty blond hair and dark green eyes, he stood two inches taller than the Slytherin.   
  
"You must be Salazar," said the boy, obviously amused.   
  
Salazar tensed, "How do you know my name?"   
  
"I have been traveling with someone who claims to be a cousin of yours, he bares a striking resemblance to you."   
  
"Why is my cousin traveling?" Salazar asked, though he already knew the answer.   
  
"He wants to kill you."   
  
  
"I wasn't wandering," said Rowena, not yet deciding which tone would be best suited for this situation, "I was looking for- something."   
  
"Then you would be correct fair maiden," said the boy-man, bowing. "I am Duke Keith of Nex, cousin to Salazar of Nox. Do you know him by chance?"   
  
Rowena decided to play the one card she knew worked every time. "I do not believe so m'lord," she said sweetly with a touch of fear and relief. "I was looking for someone, anyone who might help me out of this occursed castle." She threw herself on the teenage Duke and faked a shiver of fear.   
  
"Do not worry m'lady," said Keith, "we shall find our way out of this castle and pass the tests set by its owner." Rowena flinched then remembered that Archanes had not yet removed the warning from the door. "M'lady, you have not yet told me your name."   
  
"Rowena, m'lord, of Baronshore," she quickly invented a feif.   
  
"Ah, I have heard of Baronshore, it is quite beautiful this time of year, is it not?"   
  
"Mm-hm."   
  
"Yes. Let us find my companion, then we shall find the owner of this castle and destroy him."   
  
  
"You don't seem surprised," said the boy.   
  
"Should I be?" asked Salazar, almost bored. "My cousin never liked me and he always wanted my inheritence as well as his own, this is his cance to kill me off and make it look like an accident. I'm just surprised he hasn't shown up sooner. You two should have been here three weeks ago-"   
  
"I'm sure we should have Salazar," came a voice from the door and Keith stepped in, a shadow klining to the back of his shirt, "but we do not have time to hear the story now. We must find the owner of this castle and defeat him!" The two men both looked at Salazar expectantly.   
  
Salazar raised an eyebrow. A speach like that only came out of his cousin's mouth if there was a girl around that still needed impressing. Salazar stared closer at the shadow behind his cousin and two familiar yellow brown eyes giving him a meaningful look.   
  
"I killed the owner of this castle not an hour ago," Salazar announced. "When I heard the noise you two were making I thought it was another of his traps. Since it isn't, this castle is ours."   
  
"I see," Keith seemed to be studying his cousin a bit more intensly now. Suddenly he remembered the weight at his back. "May I introduce Lady Rowena of Baronshore?" he grabbed one of Rowena's hands and pulled her to the center of the room. "Lady, this is my companion, Lord John, and my cousin, Salazar. I found her in one of the upper rooms, aparently she has been lost here for some time."   
  
Salazar caught Rowena's hand before John could, "It pains me to here that such a fair flower was exposed to the gruesome battle between that blasted sorcerer and myself."   
  
"Thank you Salazar," Rowena said the name asif it were new on her lips.   
  
Keith watched as the two looked into eachother's eyes intently. Finally he couldn't stand it anymore, "Come! We must tell Lucile of Salazar's success." He took Rowena's hand from Salazar's and placed it through his arm. Salazar told himself to remember to cause Keith pain later.   
  
  
  
A/N: I just wnet right into the next problem didn't I? Well, I hope you liked it, there'll be more soon, I promise. But I must tell you that my school is evil and is not giving us Easter Break untill the week after the week after Easter. Evil. That is its real name by the way, the reason for this break that everyone calls spring is really Easter. See you later! But only after you review!  



	15. Embroidery

The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 15: Conversations  
JudgeDP  
  
  
"Lucile!" called John when they had left the castle.   
  
"John!" came a feminine voice. "Did you find Godric?"   
  
John's face fell for a moment but he was back to his old self once Lucile was in sight. She had come around the corner of one of the towers. "No, Lucile, we did not. But we did find Keith's cousin and the Lady Rowena." Rowena cursied and Lucile did the same.   
  
"Let us retire to the castle," Salazar said, "I found a kitchen just before I found you, there must be something to eat in there."   
  
"Good idea cousin," said Keith. He quickly took Rowena's arm before Salazar could reach her.   
  
  
That night after the three newcomers were all in beds in one of the lesser used towers Salazar and Rowena met in Salazar's chamber.   
  
"What are you doing out there?!" hissed the Parceltongue.   
  
"Did you want me to tell your cousin that I knew you? With all the luck we had with Thomas I thought you'd be relieved that Keith didn't know who I was!" Salazar turned away, but not before Rowena could catch the look of fear and hatred that crossed his face at the mention of his cousin. "Plus, my sword is yours, I'm not about to take it back."   
  
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Salazar said, without looking back. "I _want_ you to have it back. I'm not sure that I'm ready to have your sword yet, or that you're ready to give it."   
  
"You can give it back, but I won't take it. I gave it to you, I trust you." She gave him a peck on the cheek, said, "Good night Slytherin," and left the chamber.   
  
  
"I must admit Salazar," said Keith the next morning at breakfast, "this is a wonderous castle you found."   
  
"I know," said Salazar proudly. "I just wish I did not have to kill the last owner, he seemed such a lonely old man." Rowena was thankful that Lucile had found her a fan so that no one could see the smile on her face.   
  
"Yes," said Keith, not at all meaning it, "that was a pity."   
  
Not for the first time did the Ravenclaw notice Keith sizing Salazar up, she made a note to ask Lucile about that later. 'True,' she thought, 'the girl is too noble for her own good, but she would not tell those boys anything unless they were willing to promise her something _very_ nice in return.'   
  
  
"So," said Rowena that afternoon as the two worked on embroidery in the tower they now shared, "how do you know them?"   
  
"Who?" asked Lucile.   
  
"John, Godric, Keith, how did you meet them?"   
  
"Well," began Lucile as she started to make yet another pink flower on her pillow, "I was born and raised in Brichxelhaven, the home country of both _Prince_ Godric and _Sir_ John." Rowena nodded, remembering that Godric had mentioned this country as being his birthplace and not at all noting the emphasis on the words "prince" and "sir." "I was presented at the royal court about a year and a half ago and I was immedietly noticed by both the Prince and, at that time, the Squire. They are the best of friends and I was told that they had competed over many a lady's hand and their friendship had never been ruined. Unfortunetly though, one day the Prince and Squire were practicing with swords in one of the training yards and a few ladies, myself included, happened to enter. All I know is that words were exchanged about me and Prince Godric became enraged, there was a blinding flash of light and all anyone knows is that in the next second John was in a crumpled heap on the other end of the yard and the Prince was running away."   
  
"I am so sorry Lucile," Rowena said, remembering the fight between Salazar and Thomas only three weeks before.   
  
Lucile wiped away a tear and went on, "But I have not yet fully answered your question. A few months ago, when the Prince had not yet returned, John announced that he would seek him out. When he did this I immedietly decided to accompany him, it was partially my fault that any of this had happened. And so, I met him at a point too far on his journey to take me back and too far as well to leave me with anyone. A few weeks later, after crossing the channel, we met Keith. He said that he was searching for his lost cousin, but I do not believe him."   
  
"What? Why?" asked Rowena, their embroidery ahd long since been forgotten in their laps.   
  
"Little things. He does not seem to be in such a hurry as John and myself. He-"   
  
"What?" Rowena pressed.   
  
"I think he may mean to kill Salazar, rather than take him home." Rowena's face paled. She was saved from explanation by a great shaking of the castle around them. "What was that?" asked Lucile, fear evident in her voice.   
  
"I have an idea." Rowena jumped up and began running through the castle, Lucile at her heals.   
  
"Why- are- we- running?" panted the girl as they ran.   
  
"Because I think you're right," said Rowena stoicly.   
  
The two reached the doors to what would one day be called the Great Hall some minutes later and threw them open. Before them stood a terrifying sight, for Rowena at least. John was standing off to the side, watching with rapt attention as Salazar and Keith circled eachother, swords raised.   
  
"No," Rowena breathed.   
  
  
  
AN: Am I evil or what? Actually I'm not because the next chapter is up now too, yay! I strongly urge you to review them both though, please? I need the reviews!   
  
  



	16. Battle

The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 16: Explanations  
JudgeDP  
  
Restatment of Disclaimer: I own very little and am still getting next to nothing for it! All I get is one or two reviews, review people!   
  
AN: Also, if star123 is reading this you should know that I am stealing your little star footnotes, I needed them. Now go and enjoy the story!  
  
  
  
"No," breathed Rowena.   
  
"What is wrong?" asked Lucile at her side.   
  
"Salazar is still tired from his battle with Thomas," the girl answered without taking her eyes off the battle before her.   
  
"Thomas? I have never heard of a sorcerer named Thomas."   
  
Rowena turned to her, shocked for a moment before she remembered that they had not told the three newcomers anything that was true, save their names. "I shall explain later, I hope."   
  
The two boys moved so fast that their swords sang as they flew and none of the onlookers could keep up. Suddenly, in a second that seemed to take years Keith lunged forward, striking Salazar's sword hand and sending the sword flying. Keith gained a look of triumph as he walked over to where the sword had fallen and reached to pick it up. When his fingers got a foot away from the hilt a bright blue and bronze light leaped up all around the sword.   
  
"What sorcery is this?" Keith spit angrilly as he turned back to his cousin, his hand still reaching for the sword.   
  
"That," echoed Rowena's voice through the room, "is my sword." The girl stepped forward, causing the three newcomers to look on in shock and Salazar to smirk at her. Rowena held out her hand and her staff fell into it. It had changed, while before it had been made of wood it was now made of metals. It was a six foot long thin staff of silver, bronze and various ofther metals (not gold) that was topped with the orb that Rowena had risked her life to gain.*   
  
"When did your make that?" asked Salazar.   
  
"After Thomas left I decided I needed a different kind of staff. Do you like it?"   
  
"Very much."   
  
"What is going on here?!" thundered Keith.   
  
"Did we forget to tell you?" asked Salazar.   
  
"We have been living here for over a year and have been studying under the present owner of the castle," said Rowena.   
  
"You tricked us!" accused Keith.   
  
"Only because you wanted to be tricked," said Rowena wisely.   
  
This was the last straw for Keith, he ran at Rowena, sword high. As he ran Rowena prepared a spell in her mind and the orb began to glow but she was unable to use it because when he was ten feet away from her he was knocked into the far wall by a blast from Salazar.   
  
"Well," said Salazar, pulling himself up, "that worked well."   
  
Rowena gave him a look and walked over to the fallen duke.   
  
"Is he-?" Lucile asked.   
  
"No," Rowena said as she conjured a stretcher** for him, "he is just unconscious."   
  
"What will you do with him?" asked John, coming over to Lucile and offering her comfort.   
  
"Dump him in the forest," said Salazar, "he should not be able to cause any trouble there and I am sure he can find his way _some_where from there."   
  
"He shall be killed!" cried Lucile.   
  
"No he will not," said Rowena as kindly as she could. "There are only two things that would hurt him in the forest unless he provokes them: werewolves and dementors. The werewolves won't hurt him because the full moon is weeks away and the dementors won't because I doubt he'll be happy anytime soon."   
  
"Exactly my thinking," said Salazar. "I have no quarrel with my cousin, it was his quarrel with me that caused this."   
  
"We should just be thankful that he didn't end up like Thomas," said Rowena solomnly as she sent the stretcher out the door.   
  
"Especially since we don't even know what happened to Thomas."   
  
"Hold on a minute," said John. "What is going on here?"   
  
"I guess we should tell them," said Rowena.   
  
"I guess," agreed Salazar.   
  
So the two sorcerers conjured up a meal and while they all ate explained what was really going on. This was followed by an explanation of how the fight had broken out. Out of the blue Keith had pulled out his sword, thrown John aside and attacked Salazar. He had then made some dirty comment about the way that Salazar looked at Rowena which would be the cause of the two basilisks getting fidgity.   
  
"That reminds me," said Rowena, "they probably need some calming down. I will be back shortly." With that Rowena made for the underground chambers.   
  
"So all we have to do is wait a few days and Godric should return here?" asked John.   
  
"That's pretty much it," said Salazar, "and as far as Rowena and I are concerned you're allowed to stay, if you really want to." John did not mistake the warning in the boy's voice.   
  
"We will stay then," John said.   
  
"Very well, I take it your know the way to your rooms. I must be off." Salazar left then, leaving the knight and lady alone.   
  
"I hope Godric returns soon," said Lucile, "this castle is so empty."   
  
"Yes," said John, "and very easy to get lost in."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
Dun dun dun!   
  
*If you want a better description of Rowena's new staff, _e-mail_ me and ask for it. Do not, I repeat DO NOT ask for it in your review, you won't get it if you do.   
  
**Also, I'm not sure if they had stretchers back then, maybe they did maybe they didn't, I don't know.   
  
star123 - thank you for the review! And the happy review dance is just dancing around for however long it takes to get that happy/hyper feeling from reviews to go down to a managable point.   
  
  



	17. The Past Returns Gryffendor

The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 17: Returning Home  
JudgeDP  
  
  
  
  
"Home," said Adolf as the four (nine if you count Hat and the horses) travelers exited the forest.   
  
"It is more beautiful than when we last saw it," said Helga happily.   
  
"Yes, it is," said Godric, gazing at Helga. When she looked over at him he quickly looked up at the castle, a slight blush gracing his cheeks. "I'll race you to the stables."   
  
"If you really want to be disgraced by a lady," said Helga then she urged her horse forward wand the two children were off.   
  
"If I'm not careful," said Adolf, "this will become a castle of love and I shall have to flee for my sanity."   
  
"No you won't Adolf," said Archanes.   
  
"Why do you say that?" asked Adolf.   
  
"Because the fact that you continue to stay here with all of us is proof enough that you have already lost your sanity."   
  
"Oh, you blasted wizard," grumbled Adolf as the two began toward the castle.   
  
  
"I win," said Godric when the two horses leapt through the stable doors.   
  
"It was a tie Godric," said Helga, to which Godric could only nod in agreement. The two dismounted and unsaddled their horses, then went to work brushing them down. When that was done the two men had not yet arrived. "Whose horses are those?" asked Helga suddenly, looking at the far end of the stable where three unfamiliar horses were grazing.   
  
"It can't be," Godric breathed as Archanes and Adolf came in, leading their horses. The boy raced out of the barn and toward the castle without offering any explanation whatsoever.   
  
"What is wrong with Godric?" asked Archanes.   
  
"It's those horses," Helga gestured, "when he saw them he just ran."   
  
"He's probably heading for the castle, to see who they belong to," Adolf said.   
  
"You're right," said Archanes. He made some gestures and muttered some words and invisible hands began tending to the horses. "Come on!" The three ran out of the barn after Godric.   
  
  
Godric raced through the halls of the castle, finding nothing. He ran up into the towers, down into the dungeons and still found no one untill finally he made his way up to what Archanes always called the Guest Tower. There, in a beautifully decorated room, he saw someone he never thought he would lay eyes on again: Lucile.   
  
Lucile turned upon hearing the door open, when she saw Godric she raced to him and threw her arms around him.   
  
"We have been so worried," she cried as Godric stood there, shocked. "We thought you were dead!" After a few minutes of going on like this she released him and curtsied respectfully. "I am sorry."   
  
"What do you mean 'we?'" Godric asked after a moment.   
  
"Sir John and myself," she said. "We traveled here in search of you."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because- because we thought you wanted to come home."   
  
Godric was about to try and form an answer when a door at the opposite side of the room opened and John came in saying, "I thought I heard you say my name Lucile, what is- Godric."   
  
  
"You go and find Godric," ordered Archanes, "tell him and whoever he is with to come to the dinner hall."   
  
"Yessir," Helga said, curtsied and was off.   
  
"And we," Archanes continued, "will go and find Rowena and Salazar."   
  
"How do you know they aren't with whoever Godric went off to find?" asked Adolf.   
  
"I don't, I just hope they aren't."   
  
After a few minutes of searching they found the two in Rowena's main room, both reading books at opposite sides of the room.   
  
"Archanes!" cried Rowena when the two walked in. "Adolf! We had been wondering when you would arrive."   
  
"We have missed you both as well," said Archanes, "now I would suggest you both go pack."   
  
"Pack?" the three other people in the room asked.   
  
"Yes pack, but pack lightly you won't be going very far, but at the same time you will," he said as an afterthought. The two children gave eachother looks of confusion then went off to their rooms to pack.   
  
After they had left Archanes went and sat down in one of the chairs, making himself comfortable. Adolf waited patiently for his explanation, but when none came he yelled, just loudly enough to get the sorcerer's attention but not so loud that Rowena could hear in her room, "Archanes! What is going on?! We just get home and now you're sending two of your pupils off again! Have you gone mad?!"   
  
"No Adolf, I have not," Archanes said in a strangely sad tone. "I am sending you with them, but just for the first part, then you may return at any time."   
  
"Sending us _where_, Archanes?" demanded the werewolf.   
  
"To the future. I am sending them to a future they will create."   
  
"The school."   
  
  



	18. Goodbyes Before Hellos

The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 18: Goodbyes  
JudgeDP  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Yes, the school. They are needed there, or at least that is what Cassandra and I deduced from a scroll Helga found."   
  
"You had better be right about needing _them_, they have had no training in the past few months, they are far behind Godric and Helga."   
  
"You think so? If I know them they have been studying and learning perfectly well on their own this whole time, and having adventures."   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"According to the scroll, in the time we were gone there were two, maybe three, attacks on Salazar's life, two men tried to gain Rowena's favor, one almost killed her to do it and the two of them have gotten rid of both pests."   
  
"Who would've thought," said Adolf, more of a statement than a question.   
  
  
"We're leaving," Rowena said, stroking Slink's head.   
  
"We'll be back as soon as we can," said Salazar, petting Slither. The two children were tangled up in the two basilisks.   
  
"Promise us you won't kill anything," Rowena said.   
  
"Anything good," Salazar ammended.   
  
The two serpents nodded.   
  
"We had best get back up there," said Rowena sadly. "Be good, both of you." She kissed both snakes and raced up the steps to Salazar's rooms.   
  
"We'll be back before you know it," Salazar said. "Now obey your mother, be good."   
  
The two snakes nodded again and watched their father run up the steps into his rooms. Once they were sure he couldn't hear them, they began bawling.   
  
  
"Are you two ready?" asked Archanes when they appeared in Rowena's main room once more. They nodded in silence. "All right then. I am going to send you both into the future. You will be attending a school for witches and wizards, that school will be called Hogwarts. Here are your invitations," he handed them both envelopes with green ink. "I asked that you be allowed to attend the school and the Headmaster complied. This school is- it is this castle. One day it will be made into a school. You will retain as much control over it as you do now: contolling the staircases, open a door and have it lead to any room in the castle you want, the usual. Adolf will accompany you to get your supplies and to the train station."   
  
"The _what_ station?" asked Salazar.   
  
"Oh, I should probably give you each a base memory for that time period."   
  
"Meaning?" asked Rowena as their teacher moved towards them.   
  
"Meaning that you will understand terms that anyone else would understand, that is all."   
  
"Oh." Archanes put two fingers on Rowena's right temple and two on Salazar's left. The two staggered backward when the knowledge transfer was complete. "Whoa. I see what you mean, I have never heard that term before," Rowena smiled.   
  
"Exactly," Archanes forced a smile as he stepped back. "You will need to wear different clothing. I would suggest calling your staff and sword." The children did as he asked. "You do know how to carry things within your robes, do you not?" In answer the sword and staff disappeared into the folds of the childrens clothing. "Good, now I will have to change your clothes. Stand back Adolf."   
  
Archanes raised his arms and Rowena and Salazar's robes broke into strips of cloth and reformed themselves into something a bit more modern. When it was finished Salazar was wearing dark blue jeans, a dark green shirt and a leather jacket. Rowena was wearing light blue jeans, a striped blue and bronze shirt and a jean jacket the same color as her pants. "Your weapons are in your jackets," Archanes explained. The two nodded in understanding.   
  
"Also, you will have to go by different names: Seth Nox and Rachel- you have not yet told me where you are from Rowena, I know the area, but-"   
  
"Wing."   
  
"What?"   
  
"I would like to be called Rachel Wing."   
  
"Very well." Archanes looked at them for a moment then pulled them both into a furious hug. "I am sorry to do this to you so soon after we returned but, you are needed there."   
  
"We understand," said Salazar.   
  
Archanes nodded. "Are you ready Adolf?"   
  
"As ready as I'll ever be old friend."   
  
"Good." Archanes turned toward the warmly glowing fire and it roared to be ten feet tall. The flames began to come forward, and make a circle in the air. "Go! I can only hold it for so long!" Adolf jumped through the circle and was gone. Rowena felt a hand come into her own, she glanced at Salazar, who smiled back. He lifted his hand and their two trunks floated through the portal, then pulled Rowena through with him.   
  
Archanes slumped back into one of the chairs, "I hope they'll be all right."   
  
  
  
  
AN: Now, if you want to see what happens to Rowena and Salazar and their trip to the future you have to read _Modern Times Are So Medieval_, which should have at least one chapter up as of 4/7/02. This is also the sequel to Obedient Slave, which has been finished for a while now. You _must_ read Obedient Slave before reading _Modern Times Are So Medieval_. Now be good little boys and girls and review.   



	19. Much Falling

The Founder's Troubles - Chapter 19: Breaking Windows ... and Repairing Them.   
JudgeDP  
  
Author's Note: I am so sorry! I meant to update weeks ago but then my friend dragged me on stage for the cuts for the dance we've been working on in dance class for over a month now and my teacher actually put me in the show. Can you believe that? What happened to the universe where I could not dance? I know it was here in 2001 but something about 2002 made it go away. Anyway, the show is over now so I should be able to update more now, but because of it I can promise you that I will not meet my goal of finishing this story or "Modern Times Are So Medieval" by summer vacation. This chapter is like two in one (maybe three) to make up for the lateness. It gets kind of fluffy towards the end, you have been warned.   
  
  
  
"Hello, my name is Archanes, I am the master of this castle," Archanes said, introducing himself to John and Lucile. The two bowed or curtsied as was apropriet. "If they have not already told you so, these are two of my four pupils: Godric and Helga."   
  
"We know sir," said Lucile, "Salazar and Rowena told us."   
  
"I see, well you will not be seeing them for quite some time, that is if you decide to stay."   
  
"Why not?" asked Helga. She and Godric were standing behind the two nobles and it was slightly obvious that Helga's pressence alone was keeping Godric from speaking.   
  
"They have gone on a mission as it were, to ensure the well-being of the future, Adolf has gone with them. Now! I think it is time we ate, three of us have had a rather long ride and it is time for some food!" With that Archanes turned around and began making his way to the Great Hall, the four following.   
  
  
"I can't believe this," raved Godric that night. He and Helga were in the latter's main room, she patching a few clothes which had become torn, he pacing about like a lion in a zoo.   
  
"That your old friends are back, that Salazar and Rowena were sent off before we even got a chance to say 'hello' or both?" asked Helga, not once looking up.   
  
"The last one, definately."   
  
"Well, if you ask me I do not trust that John fellow anywhere near this castle or anything for that matter but Lucile just seems to be some naive little girl dragged into some nobles' game."   
  
"You mean like you were?"   
  
"There were no games involved where I was concerned and I am going to pretend I did not hear that. As for Salazar and Rowena I do miss them both terribly but Archanes must have had a good reason for sending them off like that. All we can do is wait and hope he tells us why eventually. Now sit down, you're wearing a hole in the floor."   
  
"But-"   
  
"Now!" Helga ordered, finally looking up from her sewing.   
  
Godric sat down and couldn't help but think that she was very beautiful when she was angry.   
  
  
"This is getting weird," said John. He and Lucile were in much the same position as Helga and Godric, the male pacing about while the female sewed, but here Lucile was working on her embroidery and John was close to a mad rage.   
  
"What is?" Lucile asked timidly.   
  
"Everything!" John came and stod before her, getting closer every second until he was grasping the arms of her chair. "First we come here and are fed nothing but lies, then Keith is killed by his own cousin and those two try to make up for their trechery by telling us even more lies! Now Godric and that girl of his show up with this castle's '_real_' owner just as Salazar and Rowena disappear! Don't you see? They're trying to trick us."   
  
"Why?" asked Lucile, her voice thick with fear.   
  
"Because they want us dead, that way there will be no one left who knows what is really going on here."   
  
"What?"   
  
"That they killed the original owner of this castle, a baron or something, and took it for themselves."   
  
"It doesn't make any sense though."   
  
"Of course not, they are using their dark powers to cloud your mind. It's not working on me because I've been fighting it from the beginning, but you lowered your guard."   
  
Lucile was silent, she could see the madness in John's eyes. She had long wondered if he was really on this quest to bring Godric home, now she felt she knew the truth.   
  
"I can see you believe me," John said, calmer now, "you cannot tell anyone that you know, this must be a secret, otherwise they will not hesitate to kill you and I will not be able to protect you."   
  
Lucile nodded.   
  
"Good." said John leaning down to give her a long, fierce kiss that left her more violated than anything else. With that he left her rooms.   
  
  
A large vortex opened up in Archanes' office later that night, admitting Adolf to medieval times once more.   
  
"I take it they have been deposited at the school?" asked Archanes.   
  
"I left them at the train station, they should be able to make it from there," the werewolf answered with a yawn. "Please tell me you haven't eaten already, I'm starved."   
  
"I knew you would be old friend, there should be a steaming plate of food in your chambers." Both friends knew that they were not Adolf's chambers but the guest rooms that Adolf used when Archanes needed him for some extensive work.   
  
"Thank you Archanes." The werewolf made his way for the door only to be stopped by his friend's voice.   
  
"Adolf?"   
  
"Yes?"   
  
"They weren't terribly mad at me were they?"   
  
"They were to intrigued to be mad."   
  
"Oh, thank you."   
  
"Anytime."   
  
  
A hooded figure stalked the halls of the old castle just after the witching hour had ended. He stumbled along with grim purpose, obviously not used to such acts of night. On the third floor a little snake crossed his path, almost making it cry out, but the figure bit its tongue just in time. When he finally reached his destination he was afraid to go in but finally did only to be greeted by the welcoming yellows and blacks of Helga's rooms. Helga aparently, was up reading to her calla lilies.   
  
"Yes?" asked the girl, turning on her foot stool to see her visitor. "Who are you?" Helga said, her tone harsher than before. Behind her rain pelted down the window and a crash of thunder and lightening reflected her sudden change in mood.   
  
"It's me," said the figure, removing his hood to reveal Lucile's tear streaked face.   
  
"Lucile what's worng?"   
  
"It's John, he's going to kill Godric."   
  
  
  
Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Just kiddin'! I almost left it off there, but this story's gettin' pretty darn long and I would like to make the chapters as long as I can so that I don't end up with like fifty. Here you go!   
  
  
  
"I knew there was something I didn't like about him!" Helga said, rising to her feet with such force that the foot stool went tumbling into one of the planters. The girl immedietly turned back to her plants saying, "It's all right, everything will be fine." She marched over to the noble girl and sat her down in a big comfy chair explaining, "Plants are very simple creatures, but very sensative too. Now tell me why you think John is going to kill Godric."   
  
When Lucile had finished her tale Helga sat thinking for a moment. "Insane, hm? Well the last madman we had in this castle was probably its last owner and the only one who was here for that was Archanes. Come on." Helga got up and took hold of Lucile's wrist, pulling her towards the door.   
  
"To a man's room? At night? And a sorcerer?"   
  
"Yes, a man. At night. And a sorcerer. He won't mind, he'll only be mad if we wait until morning to tell him."   
  
"But-"   
  
"I know what you're thinking and he's not like that. He has a lover down south, he wouldn't endanger that for the world, trust me."   
  
Lucile obediently followed Helga through the twists and turns of the castle and soon found herself face to face with a large stone gargoyle.   
  
"Move it," said Helga. The gargoyle gained an expresion that seemed to say "push-y" but jumped aside anyway, revealing a a large stone staircase. Lucile was once again dragged and this time found herself in a well furnished office with a door on the other side of the desk. Helga let go of the girl's hand and rapped the door three times in quick succession. Moments later Archanes came out dressed in a robe of blue, covered in gold stars, suns and moons.   
  
"What is it?" Archanes asked tiredly. Helga just looked at his robe. "Don't give me that look. This is a very fashionable night robe, all great sorcerers wear them." (AN: Now we know why all those wizards always wear those robes.)   
  
"Fine," Helga said, snapping out of it. She turned to Lucile, "Tell him what you told me."   
  
  
Now by this time it was getting to be very early in the morning. So by the time Lucile finished and Archanes made the decision to go tell Godric at once John had already gotten up. Actually John had gotten up at about the same time Lucile had entered Helga's rooms which just happened to be the same moment that Adolf, who was the only one close enough to Godric's rooms to have even the slightest chance to hear anything coming from there, had entered REM sleep mode.   
  
When John did get to Godric's rooms it took him a good five minutes to find Godric's bedroom and by that time all his stomping about had disturbed Godric's sleep considerably. Thus, when John brought the daggar down towards Godric's heart the ex-prince's arm shot up to catch his old friend's wrist.   
  
"Good," said John, the hatred evident in his eyes, "it would have been too easy the other way." He reached for his sword just as Godric reached for his which hung in its sheath from the headboard on the opposite side of the bed from John.   
  
The two blades came together with a crash that put the thunder that echoed outside to shame. Both boys were on their feet, fighting for their lives in the dark room. Flashes of lightening illuminated the scene occationally, causing the onlooking little snake to wonder just how it happened that in one flash Godric was winning while in the next John was. This predicament went on for quite some time until finally both boys lost their swords and took to wrestling around the room; many vases, tables, chairs, etc. were lost in this tumble. The little snake was highly disappointed when the boys ended up crashing through the window to the ground below.   
  
  
Helga, Archanes and Lucile raced for Godric's room a couple of hours later.   
  
"Why are we running so fast?" Lucile asked Archanes.   
  
"Because Helga has a little bit of seer in her and I think she senses that something has happened or is going to."   
  
Lucile dared not question the sorcerer again, but went back to her fearful thoughts of what John might be doing or have done to Godric if he had gone after him in the night.   
  
Helga threw open the doors of Godric's room so hard that they bounced of the walls. She was still several yards ahead of her two companions when her hands came up to her mouth in horror, "Oh no." It was obvious that there had been a fight, a fight that had ended when both parties had gone out the now shattered window. Helga fell to her knees, unable to look out at what had to be the rain drenched bodies of the only man she had ever loved and what had to have been his only enemy.   
  
  
Godric got up out of the mud, knowing that he had to but not knowing why. A massive headache claimed him as he tried to move, but years of training to be a knight had left him with a good deal of self control. Finally he made it to his knees and looked around. He sprung to his feet when he was John's body, half submerged in mud. He dared a look up to see where they had fallen from, the lightening illuminated a window at least a hundred feet up.   
  
Godric couldn't breathe, it was his worst fear brought to life, he had caused the death of a friend, true John had been trying to kill him but you must understand reader, if Godric had made it to be a knight he would have been the only one who actually abided by the laws of chivalry. Godric ran. It was the second time in his life he had run from his fears, all other times he had either stood his ground or run towards him, but now he was scared.   
  
Godric did not know where he was running, he only knew that he was and with each step his guilt grew deeper. At times he thought of returning to the castle, to Helga, but he always pulled himself back from these idiot thoughts. He could not trust himself, he had been a fool to ever think he could, if he returned what was to stop him from killing Helga as he had killed John?   
  
Finally Godric was stopped by his second fall that night. Aparently he had entered a cave and tripped over a rock. He picked himself up and heard a loud booming voice ahead of him.   
  
"Who dares enter the Cave of the Chivalrous?!"   
  
"What?" Godric looked frantically around the cave for someone to explain to.   
  
"Who dares enter the Den of the Daring?!"  
  
"I do not understand," Godric said, utterly perplexed.   
  
"Who dares enter the Berth of the Brave?!"  
  
Finally Godric got fed up with the questions and cried, "I do!"   
  
"Good," said the silky smooth voice, "it has been quite some time since anyone dared enter."   
  
A crash could be heard and Godric was showered with a rain of pebbles and dirt. On the left side of the cave a chunk of rock had been knocked away and molten lava now poured from the opening into a rock bowl about a foot beneath the opening and from there into a large half circle pool coming out of the wall, its diameter was about ten feet and it reached halfway to the other wall. In the newfound light Godric could see a very large Sphinx sitting before a lone stalagmite with a crest embedded into it. Godric could not make out the design.   
  
"What is this place?" Godric asked, trying to mask his fear.   
  
"You cannot blame yourself," the Sphinx said simply.   
  
"What are you talking about? I asked you a question!"   
  
"He attacked you, you had no choice."   
  
"There is always a choice."   
  
"Yes, and in this case there was the choice to fight back or to die."   
  
"You're wrong."   
  
"No, I am not."   
  
"Why are you here?"   
  
"To protect this place from anyone who is not brave, daring and chivalrous."   
  
"I should have known. Then why an I still here?"   
  
"Because I know that you are chivalrous and daring, but I am still deciding if you are brave."   
  
"You know," Godric said, sitting down by the pool of lava that never seemed to overflow, "you sound a lot like a friend of mine."   
  
"I know."   
  
"What am I going to do?" he said, putting his head in his hands.   
  
"What you know you must."   
  
"But I'm uncontrolable, I can't even control myself! How can I trust myself around them?"   
  
"You have been in control for over a year, it was only when you were provoked all those months ago that your powers got out of hand."   
  
"But I was out of hand tonight."   
  
"No you weren't, look back on the fight."   
  
Godric did as he was told and was surprised to find that he _had_ been in total control, using every trick he knew to disarm his enemy without harming them. "John threw us out the window," he murmured.   
  
The Sphinx nodded, "His anger drove him to insanity and his insanity drove him to the thought that he must defeat you at all costs."   
  
"But how did I survive that fall?"   
  
"You are important in the great scheme of things, if you were to die tonight many things would be altered and many people would die."   
  
The two sat in silence for a moment as Godric thought over all he had just learned. "I'm going back."   
  
"Are you sure you want to do that?" asked the Sphinx.   
  
"Yes," Godric said, the finality in his voice compelling. He stood up and made for the mouth of the cave; he was just about to turn back and thank the creature when she said, "Wait!"   
  
"Let me guess," Godric ventured, "I'm not allowed to leave until I either prove myself to be brave or solve some riddle."   
  
"You have done both."   
  
"What?"   
  
"You proved your bravery by returning home and you solved the riddle of your life, up to this point at least."   
  
"Oh. So what does all that mean?"   
  
"It means many things: 1) I belong to you, 2) you now own this cave and the underground chamber it leads to, 3) you do not have to walk home in the rain because the chamber has another outlet- the portrait above the fireplace in your chambers at the castle, and 4) you are now the Gryffendor." She moved aside at this to reveal the crest. It was a golden lion on a red background framed in gold, above the lion was a gold banner with red lettering saying "GRYFFENDOR."   
  
"Why me?"   
  
"Because you are Godric Gryffendor, you always have been, it is just now that you have found out."   
  
"Oh." Godric turned and looked out at the dark forest with all the wet and noticed that it was not so dark as before.   
  
"Dawn is here, you had best run." The back of the cave opened to reveal a flight of stone steps leading down to the chamber. As Godric ran down them he heard the Sphinx calling, "And do not tell anyone about this! It is not yet time for them to know!"   
  
Godric ran across the chamber which was lighted by the same flowing magma as the cave and up the flight of steps at the other side. He emerged in his main room and ran up the steps to the top of his tower. There he saw a sight that wrenched his heart. Archanes was examening the broken furniture, Lucile sat on his bed fingering his sheets, but none of that mattered, Helga was sitting in the doorway, crying.   
  
Archanes was the first to see him, but he dared not say a word to or about his young pupil, he merely walked over to Lucile and put a hand on the girl's shoulder to silence her when she saw the ex-prince.   
  
Godric slowly walked over to Helga, unclasping his cloak as he went. He gently layed it across her shaking shoulders and gave her a side-hug. The girl looked up at him with redened eyes and threw herself into his chest.   
  
"I'm sorry," he said simply.   
  
"_Never _do that to mea again," said said.   
  
"I won't."   
  
  
  
  
R/R please.   
  
  
  



	20. The Past Returns Hufflepuff

The Founder's Troubles - chapter 20 JudgeDP  
  
recap: Rowena and Salazar have been sent into the future to help in the fight against Voldemort while Godric and Helga stayed in the past to find out about their true names (Gryffendor and Hufflepuff). Godric has found his and a secret underground chamber, much like those belonging to Salazar and Rowena.  
  
"I am leaving tomorrow," Archanes announced a week later at breakfast.  
  
"What?" asked Helga.  
  
"Why?" questioned Godric.  
  
"Because," their master explained, "it is about time I took Lucile home and there is some sort of problem in the east that I am, and I quote, 'desprately needed to handle, no one else can do it.' I hate being famous and powerful."  
  
"Oh, poor Archanes," Godric fained pity. All three people sitting at the table with him, Hat and Pest looked up at him in shock. "What? With Salazar and Rowena gone someone had to say it."  
  
"Too true, Godric," said Archanes through a mouth full of eggs as he raised his glass. "Now, I expect you two to be on your best behavior, if Salazar and Rowena could last over a month with me gone and have no problems surely you two can do the same, if not better."  
  
A small hissing sound could be heard behind Archanes, who turned to look with the rest of the group. A little snake was coiled up on the floor and Pest wasted no time in cawing at it. Once the snake was gone Godric said, "If I didn't know better I'd say that snake was laughing."  
  
"He- hello?" said a frail sort of woman as she allowed the door to Grandmother's shop to close behind her. She had long black hair that reached past the small of her back and bright green eyes that made her look perfectly harmless, which she was.  
  
"Yes, m'dear?" called the old woman. "How may I help ye?"  
  
"I- I am here for-" the woman stopped short, wringing her hands.  
  
"My dear child," Grandmother said kindly, coming out from behind her curtain and taking the woman's hands, "I know why you are here."  
  
"You do?"  
  
"Yes, but I cannot help you if you are not willing to take responsibility for what you are here for," Grandmother dropped the woman's hands and turned around. "So unless you can say what you want you had best leave."  
  
The woman reached out but stopped short of grabbing the old hag's shoulder. "I am here for revenge," she said coldly.  
  
"Wonderful!" Grandmother grabbed the woman's hand and led her to the table behind the curtain. "Now just who do you want revenge against and why?"  
  
"Lady Helga of Dukesburrow, she used some sort of magic to attack me and ruined my life."  
  
"Oh, I see. Well, you have indeed come to the right place, Helga is staying in a castle not a half day's ride away and I have already sent three men to seek revenge or something a bit nicer to that castle. I can help you, if you understand what you are getting into?"  
  
"I do."  
  
"Good. Now, let us not talk of payment now, that can wait until after the work is done." Grandmother got up and began rumaging through some bottles until she found a particuarly sinsiter looking one filled with a deep black liquid. "Drink this down, all of it."  
  
The woman opened the bottle and without even stopping to think drank the whole of it down. She set the empty bottle down on the table saying, "Now what?"  
  
"Now you are going to go to that castle and kill Lady Helga," Grandmother said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"What?!" the woman roared, jumping to her feet. "I will do no such thing! I came here for your help so that you could do something! Send a demon after her or- or-" The woman began swaying back and forth until she fell to the floor in a dead faint.  
  
"Why my dear," the old woman said, "that is exactly what I am going to send after the girl."  
  
"Helga?" Godric called, poking his head into the massive library.  
  
"Yes?" Helga answered, continuing to bite her fingernails as she read a three thousand year old parchment.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"What? Oh," Helga noticed her budding habit, "nothing, it's just-"  
  
"Just what?" Godric said, taking a seat across from her.  
  
"Well," the girl picked up her flute, "I'm getting a bad feeling."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Salazar and Rowena, I feel like something bad is going on, I just don't know what."  
  
"I can promise you Helga, something bad is going on." Helga laughed. "But it's nothing to worry about. Those two can handle themselves, now was that all?"  
  
"No. I keep thinking about my first governess."  
  
"Ah yes, you told me about the visions."  
  
"Mm-hm, I feel like she's in danger and I'm responsible."  
  
"I don't see how that's possible, but if you give me her name I can send Archanes a letter, see if he's heard anything?"  
  
"Matilda Cartwright," Helga said, smiling.  
  
"Great, I'll go send Archanes the letter. I'm going to take my horse out for a run afterward, so don't go searching for me."  
  
"I won't. Tell Archanes I miss him."  
  
"I will."  
  
"And if he sees Rowena and Salazar to tell them the same!" she called as an afterthought before the boy could get out the door.  
  
"Will do!" the Gryffendor said with a sweeping bow.  
  
The seven foot tall demonic-looking thing (I leave it to your imaginations) picked itself up off the floor and turned to the old woman sitting at a table. "Hungry," it said simply.  
  
"I know my dear," said the woman, "but you will find nothing to relieve your hunger here. You can find something quite delicious up at the castle, a certain Lady Helga, formerly of Dukesburrow."  
  
"Lady Helga. Must pay. Hungry."  
  
"I know, why don't I send you to the castle the fast way, that way you don't have to wait."  
  
"Hungry. Lady taste good."  
  
"I'm sure she will," Grandmother said with a satisfied smile as the creature disappeared.  
  
"Those eyes will tell Helga who's doing this to her just before she dies, I always love it when something essencial like the eyes stays the same," crowed the crow.  
  
"Let's just hope this one succeeds, I'm tired of having those children defeat everything I throw at them."  
  
"You can't win them all."  
  
"They seem to. Let's go check on my other two dearies, that always cheers me up."  
  
Helga slowly made her way up to her chambers, she needed a nap to get her mind off of her bad feelings. 'Come on Rowena, Salazar, be all right,' she thought as she looked at a tapestry of a knight, a lady and a unicorn in a grassy meadow.  
  
"Grrrrrrrr."  
  
"Who's there?" Helga called, spinning around. "Show yourself!" The young girl fingered her whistle in her pocket as a large shadow made its way around the corner. When whatever it was could be seen in full light Helga gasped in shock, standing before her was the most evil thing she had ever seen: seven feet tall, deep blue, and horribly frightening. "What do you want?" the girl asked, pulling out her whistle, ready to use it.  
  
"Hungry."  
  
"We have some wonderful food down in the kitchens if that's the case," Helga slowly stepped backward.  
  
"Want Lady."  
  
"Lady? Well, there are no ladies here I'm afraid, best try the next castle."  
  
"Lady Helga of Dukesburrow. Taste good."  
  
Helga's face paled considerably as she tripped on her long robe and fell to the floor, the creature was on her in an instant.  
  
'Uh-oh,' thought the little snake, 'this is not a good thing. I can't help her directly, my job is helping those other two and they'll kill me if I let their friend die. Wait! I've got it! That furball owes me from our last poker game!' The little snake curled up in a ball and disappeared with a "pop!"  
  
"Lady taste good," the thing said hungrily.  
  
"Not today," Helga said and a flurry of yellow sparks shot out the end of her whistle into the thing's chest. Needless to say it was knocked backward, giving Helga time to run.  
  
"Hungry," the demon-thing said, rubbing its sore chest. "Angry." It took off down the hall on all fours after the girl. It jumped high into the air and came down on her back, sending her sprawling and her whistle skittering across the floor.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Eat now."  
  
"I think not," a large paw connected with the creature's muzzle, knocking it into the wall.  
  
"What?" Helga asked when she looked up and saw a badger looking down at her, her whistle under its right paw. The badger suddenly looked sharply over Helga's shoulder. The girl grabbed her whistle, turned, and began to play.  
  
As she played, twin beams of yellow and black light left the whistle and circled around the beast, stopping it in its tracks. It fell to the floor, clutching its ears as if the beautiful music hurt. It suddenly looked up at Helga with those deep green eyes of its and the girl dropped the instrument with a start. The creature, forgetting its hunger in the presence of good sense, ran.  
  
"Miss Cartwright?"  
  
Matilda Cartwright woke up in that all too familiar cage in the back of Grandmother's shop. She was back to her human self by now and remembered everything that had happened. Looking around she saw Grandmother and shrieked, "What have you done to me?!"  
  
The old woman continued to pet her siren but looked up in a very bored fashion, "What do you mean my dear?"  
  
"What do I mean?! You turned me into some demon and sent me after Helga you ugly old hag!"  
  
Grandmother's eyes widened and a look of pure anger formed on her face, her hand had stopped above the siren's head and the once-girl was trying to make her master happier. "Why you-! I gave you what you asked for! It was your duty to realize that dream!" Grandmother seemed to regain her control once more and went back to petting the siren, who now purred contentedly. "All we have left to discuss is your payment."  
  
"Payment?! I refuse to pay you!"  
  
"Really? Well then, I will just have to keep you then."  
  
"Keep me?" the woman paled.  
  
"Why yes. This little pretty here," Grandmother indicated the siren, "was once a customer of mine, she refused to pay me as well, so I turned her into this. Oh I liked her, she reminded me much of myself as a young girl, falling in love with a man and turning to the dark arts to get his love in return, that is why I didn't make it so horrible for her as it will be for you. I may have taken her humanity but I gave her almost flawless beauty. True, those first few days were torture for her, her human side hating me with all it had and her fish side longing for nothing more than to please its master, me, she came around in the end though, now she is as loving and devoted as a puppy.  
  
"You will not be so lucky. That potion you drank, its affects are permanent, you will forever be changing from woman to beast and you will be doing it as a slave to me."  
  
"Would one of you explain to me what is going on?" Helga asked the badger and little snake. The two animals looked at each other. The little snake turned and slithered away.  
  
"Stupid worm," grumbled the badger.  
  
"I heard that!" called the snake, though Helga could not understand what he was saying.  
  
"Who are you and why can I understand you?" Helga asked the badger.  
  
"Oh, I'm just an old friend of the worm, I owed him and he decided that it would be fun to bring me here to help you."  
  
"Oh. That explains absolutely nothing."  
  
"I know. But there is no reason why I sould tell you anything. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get ready for the winter."  
  
"Thank you sir, I will remember your kindness."  
  
"At least your polite," he said, not turning back to her. "Before I go there is a secret passage behind the picture above your fireplace, it leads to an underground chamber."  
  
"Why would I want an underground chamber?"  
  
"Trust me, you will! Goodbye and good luck Hufflepuff!"  
  
"Hufflepuff? What does that mean?" the girl asked herself. 


End file.
